Daddy Won't You Please Come Home?
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: Rapture. A forgotten, forsaken world beneath the waves. Long has it existed. Long has it toiled. Stolen from the world of the surface and cast into the sea, a forgotten shinobi struggles to find his sanity, his place in the maddened world. Will he return to the surface world, or is he doomed to languish in the dank, dark, splicer filled corridors of rapture? NarutoxHarem! EPIC!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Just got done playing Bioshock one and two AND just finished the bioshock infinite demo. Not quite sure what to make of it though, seeing as it takes place entirely in the SKY and very much out of Rapture itself. Meh, whatcha gonna do? This is my LAST new story for awhile. I'm contemplating moving my stuff, but I really need to update some of my stories...which reminds me! Ya'll can expect an update for OF FOXES AND TURTLES any day now! Look forward to it, ya know!**

**Anyhow, enjoy!**

_"The little ones'll be coming with me."_

_~Subject Omega._

**Proud Papa**

Steel boots clanked across the halls of Rapture; a great shadow loomed across the walls. Splicers fled from it, this horrid, hulking form as it stomped toward its destination. Camera light tracked across its frame leaving their alarms silent before this foul creature; a man, and yet not a man at all. A Big Daddy. Classified as Subject Omega. Unlike most daddies, there was no little sister to accompany this one. He walked alone, the great hollow _thud-thud-thud_ of his boots preceding him as he trudged across the sodden floor.

Subject Omega was one of the newer Big Daddies, recently stolen from the surface world. More recently released into the decaying city known as Rapture. One of the few Lancer-Class Daddies to be found outside of the now sealed-off Minerva's den, he was taller than a Rosie, and slimmer than one of the deadly Rumblers, but by no means less deadly. Armed with an Ion Laser and his trusty drill, he was a force to be reckoned with. He was dangerous. Frightening. Fearsome.

_Rogue._

Because Omega had a secret. Two secrets, actually. His mind was his own. As was his tongue. His scarred vocal cords had long since healed, and, were one to warrant a gaze at his innards, they'd be quited startled the like of which they'd never seen. The hideous scar tissue was _gone_ repaired by the _second_ occupant of his suit. A creature so cruel, so cunning, not even the brilliant minds of Rapture had been able to suss it out. Omega owed his life, nay, his very existence to this eerie entity. Without it, he would be another golem of Rapture; another tin man walking the halls of his hollow city, blissful in his ignorance and furious in his rage. And at the same time, Omega wanted nothing more than to part with the beast that had spared him from this hellish existence.

This creature had been with him since the night his birth, long before the Big Sister dragged him from his home in the village and into the sea. It was his gift; and it was his curse. It was with him even now; whispering, urging him onward. Mocking him.

**"What good can you do down here?"** Its voice grated like nails in his ears. **"You, who failed to protect anyone on the surface! Just look at you! You're pathetic! Clinging the remnants of a life long since forgotten!** **Just go crawl in a corner and die already!"**

Omega refused to honour him with a response. He would not be riled by his tenant's taunting. Not today.

**"Oho, giving me the silent treatment?"** It would not be so easily silenced, however. **"Big Daddy. Bah!" **It snorted. "**You're nothing more than a hollow man wandering the halls! And you'd be much worse off if it weren't for me! Really, Naruto, you ought to-**

_'Shut. Up.'_

Its voice ended in an indignant sqwuak as ADAM coursed through Omega's veins. The genetic goop silenced the creature. Nine tails thrashed against the bars of its cage, but to no avail. It could not have the control the like sought. Not today. Not so long as Omega drew breath. So long as Uzumaki Naruto drew breath.

_Naruto._

It loomed there before him in the dark, damning him. His name. The name of a boy. Of a life above the waves, a time long since past. Conjuring up memories of his old life. He remembered precious little of it, now, but a name held power. It invoked feelings he'd never felt before. Love. Longing. Despair. He beat them back into oblivion. He had no need of those feelings now. Those memories, they only slowed him down. Left him slow and sloppy, not his usual self.

A sharp tongue coupled with a fearsome intellect. A most potent pair of weapon indeed. Omega rarely made use of either, however, instead preferring the blind bloodlust of most daddies. But not today. Today he would need his mind. His intellect. Perhaps both, as he scoured the broken corridors of Rapture, searching for something. Or rather, a certain someone. He plodded along slowly, paying no attention to the debris encumbering his stride; the occasional trickle of water that pinged off his helmet.

And there, at last, he found what he sought. Rummaging through a filing cabinet, he came up with a small, handheld device. A radio. He thumbed it on...and was rewarded with a harsh bleat of static. Behind the helmet Omega grit his teeth in frustration and drew out his trusty hacking tool. This would take some time...

* * *

_(Hours Later)_

It took what felt like an eternity of fiddling with his hacking tool before Omega was finally able to get the handheld radio to work, setting it to the frequency used by his longtine ally. There was a sharp, keening burst of static, before he heard the first sorrowful tones of the heavily accented voice.

"Hello? Who is on this channel?"

Omega growled. He was not in the mood for this. Thankfully, Brigid Tenenbaum seemed to remember it well.

"Herr Omega? Is that you? Give me a moment."

A few second and a burst of static later, her voice materialized over his suit's radio, much of the grainy element gone. He quickly turned off the handheld he had been using, stowing it in waterproof pockets for later use if the need demanded.

"Herr Omega, I am using the camera in your helmet. Please, what has happened? The Little Ones have told me many things, and they tell me now you are nearing the Adonis Resorts." Omega grunted. True enough. He was indeed nearing the once infamous resort. But she didn't need to know why. Not yet.

"Is there problem?"

Omega shook his head. No. There was no problem at present.

"I see." There was a silence. "Herr Omega, I think you should be knowing...the plasmid I have created to cure the little ones is nearly finished." Naruto blinked at that one. He'd no idea Tenenbaum was that far along. It meant he would soon have to make a his tenuous life here would be forever changed. Until now, he'd managed to squeak by without alerting anyone to his newfound intelligence. All that would change once _if_ he started liberating the dozens upon dozens of Little Sisters throughout the city of Rapture. They would know. The splicers, the security bots, all of them.

_Ryan would know._

"You are concerned, yes?" Tenenbaum's voice asked.

Naruto rolled his padded shoulders in a shrug. He'd deal with it when the time came. Until then, he'd continue on, just as he always had. Just as he always would, until Rapture came crashing down around his ears. This was his home, for now, until Tenenbaum found some way back to the surface. He was tempted to tell her just that, but he dare not.

"I wish you luck then, Herr Sigma." the radio crackled once more and fell silent.

Nodding, Omega plodded onward toward the nearest Securis door. It creaked open with a raspy hiss, presenting him with the waterlogged halls of Adonis Resorts.

He cared precious little for the schemes of Andrew Ryan or Sofia Lamb. Thought it could be said it was the latter's fault that he ended up like this. But the doctor, she was friend. Ally to him in this dank, dark hell he'd come to call home. She'd restored his sanity after Suchong's procedure, at great personal risk to herself. Many months later, his tenant had healed the worst of his scars, restoring his voice to him. Now, he was all but invincible in his metal suit; nothing could kill him, save another Big Daddy, or...

_...or a Big Sister._

Suppose Tenenbaum's plasmid worked? Suppose there was a way to cure the Little Sisters? The Big Sister's wouldn't take kindly to that. They'd come after him in droves. He could only be thankful that Lamb and Ryan were at each other's throats; Big Daddy or no, he didn't stand a chance if they ever presented a united front against him.

Shuddering, Omega resumed his course, his path taking him down a dim alley. Puddles and a few intrepid vermin, descendants of bathysphere stowaways, occupied the path before them. He continued onwards until the echoes of malicious laughter reached his ears. With one arm he hefted the Ion Laser atop his back, with the other he pulled out the drill. Redoubling his pace, Omega thundered down the alley, emerging in a dark, dank space between buildings, a gritty bit of Rapture never meant to be seen by its well-to-do upper class.

A woman's corpse lay slumped against a fuel barrel, her dress stained with water, grease, and blood. In the dead center of the gloom was the crumpled form of a bouncer, its Sister crouched atop it, tears streaming down her face as blood oozed from a thin on her arm. Three men encircled her, grinning wolfishly, their crude weapons held high and threatening before them.

"Aww...ain't she sweet? Gatherin' like a good little girl."

"Now now, dearie, just give us a tiny bit o' yer Adam...

"We just wanna get 'dat icky thing outta your tummy!"

"No!" The girl wailed. Loud, heaving sobs and fat tears poured out from her face as her tormentors stepped forward. "Mr. Bubbles!" Frantically, she shook her protector, desperately she begged for him to rise. The once mighty rumbler twitched once, and fell silent. The Little Sister screamed, a heartrending cry that set the heart aflame.

"Don't die, Mr. Bubbles!"

_Don't die._

Memories flickered through Omega's mind. He saw red. Great, unholy red.

_Don't die!_

Omega roared. The men turned, their smiles fading. The nearest Splicer pulled out a pistol, a single shot ringing out before pinging off Omega's armored suit. The Big Daddy roared and charged, the drill whirring to life in his hand. The left crackled with electricty, great fat bolts of lightning spurting forth from his fingertips. Moments later, the alley was splattered in blood, the corpses of the men scattered all around. He ripped the drill from the corpse of the last splicer; he felt content. The Little Sister, now bereft of her once mighty guardian, looked up at him, and he hazarded a glance down at her. She stood and stared back at him, starry eyed and mournful.

"Daddy," she whimpered softly.

Omega was about to turn away when a squeal of static interrupted his retreat.

"Herr Omega," Tennenbaum's voice crackled through the receiver, startling him. "The little one thinks you are her big daddy."

He opened his mouth to protest, to deny such a thing. Stopped short.

_"Huweh?"_

"The little ones, all big daddies are the same to them." She explained. "She will never be knowing the difference, Herr Omega." Her voice dropped a few octaves as she became aware of Naruto's gaze, fixated upon the child at his feet. "What," she swallowed nervously, "What will you do with her?"

What to do with her indeed.

Omega frowned behind his helmet. In all his time in Rapture, he'd never once bonded to a Little Sister. Not a once. He protected them of course, kept them safe from splicers and other ilk. But bond? _Never._ Perhaps the like had something to do with the monstruous construct of chakra in his stomach. Maybe he was a loner. Nevertheless, his heart_-what little remained of it after the procedure-_went out to the girl. She did not deserve an end such as this. None of them did. Ghostly yellow eyes gazed back at him adoringly and a small smile wreathed her pale face. His mere presence had shaken her out of heart wrenching grief that only a second ago had consumed her very being. Could he really leave her like this? The answer was obvious.

He sighed, and with his free hand, reached out for the Little Sister.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed, her ghostly white face forming into a broad smile, tears ceasing to flow from her yellow eyes. She took his arm, giggling as one massive hand gently hefted her atop his shoulder. Omega gave it a moment before grunting and resuming his pace. A warm, fuzzy feeling began to spread across his chest as he walked, careful to keep his new passenger from falling off. It felt familiar. Nostalgic, even. _Aaargh!_ Where had he felt this feeling before? When? The memory was painfully close, just out of reach. Pale eyes, the color of lavender. Dark hair, the raven-blue tresses falling across her face. Her skin, soft as satin, lips the color of velvet...what was her name? He was close! So very close now! Hi...Hi...na-

His radio buzzed with a new transmission, interrupting his reverie.

"Ach!" Tenenbaum crowed triumphantly, the sorrowful note in her voice welling up with pride. "I should expect no less from you, Herr Omega!" Naruto grunted his acqueiscment, but when he reached for the memory it was gone. The image had shattered, broken into a thousand pieces. He reached for her name, and it slipped through his fingers. Sorrow welled up within him. Try as he might, he could not remember. He nearly opened his mouth and uttered an oath; nearly gave himself away before he remembered his vow of silence.

Instead, a strangled snarl fled from his lips.

His massive fist struck the nearest thing within reach-the fuel barrel bending, breaking beneath the sudden and sullen assault. It was only when the red haze dimmed, only when the fog was lifted from his mind, that he heard the voice of doctor Brigid Tenenbaum, that he became aware of it, ringing inside his ears.

"Herr Omega?" Tenenbaum's concerned voice echoed inside his helmet. "What is wrong?"

Omega shook his head. He wouldn't be able to make her understand. He stood, glaring balefully at the battered and broken drum. His anger vented, he awaited Tenenbaum's response.

There was a moment of silence, longer than the last. Then, finally.

"Please...be taking good care of the little one."

Naruto grunted.

"He's nicer than other Daddies," the Little Sister chirruped happily from her perch, blissfully unaware of the one-side conversation taking place in Omega's helmet. He flashed the doctor a halfhearted thumbs up outside of his helmet and Tenenbaum's laughter rang through his ears. It was a welcome relief from the madness that subsumed him. He blinked upwards as the Sister atop his shoulder reached a dainty hand down to wipe the grime and blood from his porthole, clearing his vision. It was a god-send.

He reached up in turn, patting her head, eliciting a happy squeal. And for a painfully brief, he experienced the utter contentment of the other Big Daddies. He could see now, how they, mindless brutes though they were _were_ content to watch over their Little Sisters and nothing else. Alternating between vigilant contentment and mindless rage. It was all the daddies, knew. But Omega knew better. His mind was his own, and as such he knew there was more to be done than protecting the little ones. _Naruto knew better._ Even in his sorry state, he still longed for a return to the surface, for a return to normalcy. He would find a way. He would reatain his humanity. His mind. His soul. He would escape from Rapture, bringing the little ones with him.

_He would find a way._

"Take care, my friend." Tenenbaum said. "I will be letting you know when plasmid is ready." And then her voice was no more. Naruto nodded and set off at a brisk walk, dutifully keeping an eye out for splicers, hacked security bots, or any other threat that might bring harm to him or his little sister.

He had a job to do.

**A/N: And there you have it! Don't mess with Big Daddy! We'll soon see Jack, Delta (and possibly Sigma) over the course of this story. Will other Naruto characters pop up? Will Naruto ever escape from the hell that is Andrew Ryan's rapture? From the clutches of Sofia Lamb? Will he ever returnt ot he surface? And just what does he look like under that mask? Stay tuned to find out! Pairing is in the wind, but may very well be harem!**

**R&R! =D**


	2. Daddy!

**A/N: Just got done playing Bioshock one and two AND just finished the bioshock infinite demo. Not quite sure what to make of it though, seeing as it takes place entirely in the SKY and very much out of Rapture itself. Meh, whatcha gonna do? This is my LAST new story for awhile. I'm contemplating moving my stuff, but I really need to update some of my stories...which reminds me! Ya'll can expect an update for OF FOXES AND TURTLES any day now! Look forward to it, ya know!**

**Anyhow, enjoy!**

_"A man chooses. A slave, obeys!"_

_~Andrew Ryan._

**Daddy!**

Today was his lucky day.

A little sister was here. Alone. Unguarded.

The perfect target!

Clamoring down from his perch in the rafters, the spider splicer crept toward her. But he was wary, and within good reason. Little Sisters were often guarded by their Big Daddies; huge, massive men melded with metal capable of ending his life with a single blow. But today there was no sign of the imposing titan. The flickering lights above fended off the city's darkness while a piercing, ungodly wail lilted in through the gaping holes in the walls, the sounds of pain and torment carried on its back. Even at this distance the splicer shuddered. A Big Sister was near.

Better hurry.

Slinging himself to the floor, he crept forward; careful to approach the girl from behind. He laughed and lashed out, knocking her down. The Little Sister cried out, her gasp of surprise swallowed up by the darkness. He wasn't having any of that, the splicer wasn't.

"Gotcha now, girlie-girl!" The splicer cackled, chucking its hooks from hand to hand. "Now, gimme yer ADAM!" Brandishing his hooks, he cut the air before him; opening a small rent in the sister's cheek. The Little Sister yelped and tumbled backwards; touched a hand to her bloodied cheek, looking up at him with big eyes, mouth open in a round O. For a moment, it looked as though she would cry. Then she looked up; past him, past a gleaming hook he held, over his shoulder.

"Mr. Buuuuubles!" She sang, her soft cry piercing the gloom. "There's _a baaaad_ man here who wants to become an _aaaaangel!"_

Startled, the splicer stole a glance over his shoulder. Nothing but ghosts and echoes. No sign of the big daddy.

"Ha!" The splicer tittered madly. "Hahahaha! Ha!_ Daaaaaaddy's_ not here, girlie-girl!" He rubbed his bloody hooks together in grisly anticipation. "Ooooh, I'm gonna gut you like a-

_Ba-dump._

Then a metallic clumping noise behind the spider splicer turned his blood cold. He spun about just in time to be struck across the chest-Subject Omega returned to protect its charge, swinging the Ion Laser in its hand like a club. The splicer was knocked backward, off his feet, the air smacked from his lungs, the room whirling. Gasping, he lost concsiousness; his vision dimming for a few moments. When the spinning specks formed shapes and the room coalesced, he looked dizzily around-saw that he was sitting up on the floor, back against a bulkhead.

The little girl chirruped happily and returned to her task.

He got up, moaning to himself with the pain of his bruised chest and the desire for ADAM and staggered forward. That was when his life ended. Omega loomed over him silent as a god, eyes glinting wrathfully through the thin slot of his porthole. The splicer squeaked in fear; because his time was now at an ened. The drill roared to life in the Big Daddy's hand and then spider splicer knew no more.

Omega grunted as he yanked the drill free from the splicer's body, pausing as he stole a glance down at his charge; still happily extracting ADAM from the hapless corpse. She gazed back at him with starry golden eyes the peril from which she'd been plucked a distant memory now that her daddy was here.

"Almost done, daddy!" she ripped the needle from the splicer's corpse and began to drink from its bottle, swallowing the ADAM.

Now, most Big Daddies would've been content to leave it at that. They'd done their job, and the little sister was safe. All was well. But not Omega. Bending to one knee, he traced the gash upon her cheek; his overlarge hand dwarfing the face of the child for whom he'd come to care. On bended knee he patted her head gloved fingers tenderly mussing at her hair. The Little Sister cooed in delight, her eyes glowing a warm amber as she nuzzled her cheek into his palm. Then, her gathering done, she scampered into his waiting arms and a tender embrace.

"I'm telling the other girls that _I_ have the best daddy!" she squealed in delight as Omega hoisted her up onto his shoulder. Omega nodded in silent affirmation and resumed his search for another ADAM filled corpse or a vent, whichever came first. This had been their third gathering today, and Rapture showed no signs of slowing. Indeed, the last few weeks had proven_...interesting_ to say the least. Now that Omega had a Little Sister of his own, he soon found the splicers weren't quite as wary of him as they'd once been. Far from it; they seemed to grow bolder by the day, constantly on the attack, ever eager, to wrest her away whenever they thought he wasn't watching.

Ah, but they underestimated the hyper-vigilance of a Lancer-Class Big Daddy. Unlike the Alpha series he was not bonded to a single little one. Unlike the traditional rosie, bouncer or even rumbler, Omega's senses were finely tuned to his surroundings; he could hear a pin drop miles away; could easily detect the pitter patter footsteps of an approaching splicer. Because his mind was his own, he proccessed ADAM, at a much slower rate than his fellows. He preferred to use his plasmids sparingly, rather than exhaust them in a single, monumental outburst.

Still, there was something to be said about the Little Sister he'd taken under his wing. She was a darling little thing. A bright ray of sunshine in the darkness of existence. Omega stepped fully through the door, noting a vent beside him out the corner of his eye. A yawn coming from atop his shoulder took sudden command of his attention.

"Sleepy time is near," came a soft mumble, and stepping over to the vent, the Big Daddy gently lifted the girl in one massive hand. Holding her up to the vent, she scrambled up the ornate metal plate decorate it, using the engravings as hand and footholds. Abruptly she paused; hanging onto the vent with one hand, clinging to him with the other, all the while stealing earnest glances back at her father figure. She seemed torn, as if in leaving him_-however briefly-_she was commiting an act of betrayal.

"Can I come out to play again, Mr. B?" she asked; hopeful, planitive. Naruto silently nodded his assent, pressing his helmeted head against the child's own. A wide smile was his reward; the Little Sister delivered a swift peck against the side of his helmet. Omega blinked at that, but maintained his silent vigil. "See you in the morning, Daddy!" Chirruping happily, the little Sister pulled herself the rest of the way into the vent and toward deliverance. A few seconds later, and she was gone, off to Tenebaum's safe haven.

Naruto watched her go, her feet vanishing into the darkness.

**"Shoulda harvested her."** Kyuubi's grating snarl pierced the fog of his vision.** "Would've got more ADAM-**

Omega resolutely ignored his darker half; because he wouldn't trade his little sister for the world.

Slumping down against the vent, he contented himself to a moment's rest. He'd slept on and off for several days now, constantly on the alert for rogue splicers and roving Big Daddies. With neither the former nor latter present, it looked as though he finally had a moment's peace-

"ADAM, Daddy! This way!"

-or not.

Omega bolted upright, tensing as the voice of a _second_ little sister split the air behind him. He spun about, drill roaring to life in his hand. What he found there froze his blood in his veins. An Alpha series lumbered past, led by a Little Sister holding his hand. Neither paid Naruto any heed as he peered at the symbol etched into the Big Daddy's gloves. _Delta._ From what Tenenbaum had told him of Big Daddy's_-and he knew precious little beyond what he'd been told-_the Alpha series were amongst the first Big Daddies to ever be created.

"Who is that one, Daddy?" The Little Sister inquired, pointing at Omega. "He's not an angel...is he?"

Naruto stepped backwards, softly. Unfortunately, even for the lighter Lancer, his footsteps still produced an earth shaking rumble. At Delta's side, the Little Sister quivered in fear.

"Daddy_...I'm scared."_

At her words, Delta's porthole flashed from warm amber to a baleful red. He stepped forwards, drill poised and ready, and Naruto quickly pulled out his Ion Laser in wary alarm. He'd fought a berserk Alpha hours before and the sisterless Big Daddy had proved a worthy foe. He'd no desire to tangle with another one today; least of all one with a Little Sister in tow. While he could easily best Delta in combat, he was loathe to deprive him of his charge, of his daughter. But he had a sister of his own now; and if push came to shove, he would fight to defend this vent.

_'Back off.'_ He flung the thought at his forefather, dreading what might happen if they came to blows. _'I don't want to fight you.'_

Delta warbled a growl and revved his drill.

**"Grrrrrrrrr...**

Naruto hissed a warning, his finger tightening on the trigger.

_'Damnit, Delta! Don't make me do this..._

"Daddy, stop!" The Little Sister screamed, suddenly tugging on Delta's arm. "Don't hurt him!" As if on cue, Delta's porthole flickered a sickly gold, only to flash to red once more. He tensedl his entire body quivering, the like of which Omega'd never seen before. Not wanting to be caught unawares, the Lancer popped a thermal cell into his Ion Laser, steadying his aim.

**"You should just kill him."** The fox hissed in his head. **"Kill him, and harvest his little sister for yourself...**

_'Never!'_ Naruto roared back at his unruly tenant._ 'I refuse to do either!' _

**"He'd be no match for you." **It pointed out.

_'That doesn't entitle me to take his sister!' _Naruto pushed the voice back down, refusing to break the standoff.

The two metal monsters were silent as the grave ; the only sounds in the warehouse disturbing it were the drip of leaking water and Delta's deep breathing. Finally the colored tug-of-war ended as the porthole glowed a buttery yellow. With a grunt Delta roughly shouldered past Omega, pushing his fellow Daddy out of the way. The Lancer spared his predecessor a baleful glare but let him pass all the same. It was not until Delta and his charge rounded the corner that he finally allowed himself a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging in relief.

_That was too close._

"I see you have been meeting Subject Delta." Naruto nearly jumped out of his suit, such was his surprise, as Tenenbaum's heavily accented voice crackled across the radio. "It is good the two of you did not quarrel." He growled an affirmative. Robbing a fellow daddy of his little one was the _last_ thing Omega wanted to do. Alphas' tended to lapse into coma or mindless rage once separted from their sister. Such a fate he wished upon no man, be he friend or foe.

"Are you knowing who his little sister is?" Tenenbaum asked softly.

Naruto shrugged, hazarding a glance in the direction Delta had gone. Why did it matter to him? It was none of his business. None of his concern. But he sensed that Dr Tenenbaum was about to make it his business. He guessed correctly, her voice whispering through his helmet once more:

"Ach! You do not know?" A pause. "Then again, how could you be knowing?"

Naruto growled an inquiry.

"I am sorry, my friend." She apologized.

"Delta's little one is Eleanor Lamb." Brigid explained. "Daughter of Sofia."

The realization sent a rush of emotion through him, a rush it took him a moment to recognize as fear. Almost before he knew it, Omega was running; clomping after Subject Delta and Eleanor Lamb. Sofia Lamb was not the sort to take this lying down. If she found out, if she ever realized...Delta was as good as dead. Tenenbaum must've realized this as well; because suddenly her voice was there with him, inside his suit, all around as he hurtled down the corridor, ringing in his ears as he ran.

"Herr Omega, what are you doing?" she asked. "Why are you running?"

Naruto made a frantic chopping motion outside of his helmet.

"I do not understand!"

"Saving!" Breaking from his oath of silence, the Big Daddy stormed after the pair, ignoring Brigid's startled squeak of surprise. "Talk later!" _Damnitall!_ Lancer or not, if Andrew Ryan or Sofia Lamb heard him talking, one of them was sure to realize the truth. Something was amiss. All these years, he'd done his best to stay silent, to bide his time until he could make his escape. Now, it was only a matter time before one or the other saw what he'd become; before they realized Rapture's most beloved puppet had cut its strings.

Before the minds of Rapture realized their newest Big Daddy had a mind of his own.

* * *

_(Several minutes later)_

Fury was an alien concept to Omega.

Oh, he'd felt it many times, whenever a rogue splicer came near his little ones. It coursed through his veins-white hot, when he unleashed a plasmid. But this fury was different. As he watched Subject Delta fall to his knees, his body beset by a mind-controlling plasmid his mind no longer his own, something began to twist inside of him. As Sofia Lamb handed Delta a pistol and bid him press it against his temple that something did a wretched dance inside his gut, thrashing and bashing itself within his chest. As Delta's little sister looked on in horror, as Sofia Lamb ordered Delta to pull the trigger, that something snapped. Cold fury burned the world white.

The sound of Delta's death was overshadowed by an unholy howl.

Sofia Lamb swung around at the sound, her eyes flying open as the Big Daddy leapt from the balcony, barreled towards her. Ducking a fistful of lightning from one of the splicers he crashed into the master manipulator; driving Sofia from her feet and into the ground. Before her unwitting cronies could react he rounded on them, his drill seeking the throat of the one who'd first thrown the mind controlling plasmid. Somehow, the splicer had been able to dodge Delta's drill; with Omega's he wasn't so lucky.

The frozen trip of his trill drank deep of the man's blood, pulping his head, severing it from his rapidly cooling body. Even as his corpse collapsed Omega moved on, seeking a new target. His fist both found and crushed the throat of a second splicer; the woman's death rattle being the only sound she made before the life bled out of her. The third brought his weapon to bear; an old double-barreled shotgun, its wooden stock splintered, rusty steel barrels sawn off by a jagged cut, and an intricate revolving mechanism affixed to its loading chambers. Omega slapped the barrel down even as the splicer pulled the trigger, spitting buckshot harmlessly into the floor.

Before the splicer could think to reload his body was burning; boiling from the inside out as a sea of flames washed over him. He was still screaming when Omega's boot ended his life. Satisfied, that all of his opponents had been vanquished, he turned toward Eleanor Lamb. The little one was weeping over the fallen form of her Big Daddy; large, fat tears dripped from her eyes, through her hands, and onto her bloodstained dress . She paid no mind to Omega as he took a small, tottering step forward, reaching an outstretched hand toward the distraught girl.

"Daddy." She sobbed, gazing distraught at the crumpled form of Delta. "Daddy...

Naruto sighed, and cleared his throat.

_"Little one."_ He winced at the sound of his own voice; it was a harsh grating sound, worn from lack of use. Ugh. Did he really sound like that? Resolute, he continued onward. "Your father will live." Eleanor's head jerked upright, her pigtails bobbing to and fro from the sudden motion. She looked from him to Delta. At him. Back to Delta. Veered toward Omega again. Eleanor must've known. Surely she must've realized he was lyingl that there was no way to save the prone form of Delta at her feet. Surely she must've known, and yet, like the child she was, Eleanor clung to his words. To hope. d she must've known that there simply

"Daddy?" She whispered, stealing a glance back at her fallen protector. "Daddy will...Daddy will be alright?"

Naruto nodded and opened his mouth to exercise his voice for a second time...

...just in time for a bullet to ricochet off his helmet. Little Eleanor screamed in terror, scrambling backwards from the unseen assailant as it spoke.

"What do you think you're doing, Subject Omega?"

Naruto rounded on the sound, whirling to confront Sofia Lamb. Her glasses cracked and face bleeding, left eye already swollen shut, she somehow managed to convery displeasure through that beady gaze. Clutching an old pistol in hand she took aim at his porthole, firing before he could respond. Omega flicked his wrist, the invisible eddies of telekineses swirling in his palm. The bullets froze in midair, suspended mere milimeters from his face. Omega flung them back at her, as hard as he could. Sofia Lamb went down, screaming, wounded in both legs and her right arm. Omega stepped backward, deliberately interposing himself between psychiatrist and child. A simple _pull_ sent the pistol skittering out the mother's grasp and across the floor.

Wounded, bereft of her weapon, the woman glowered impotently.

_"That,_ is a child of the family." Sofia Lamb's voice seethed out at him through his helmet's filter. "My child! Not some toy for you to exploit and discard, Omega! It is fitting that you expire here alongside Subject Delta-one more forgotten curio in Ryan's shrine to the self!" Naruto raised his Ion Laser and took aim at her face. He didn't notice the remote in her hand until it was too late; until Sofia pressed the trigger and all hell broke loose.

Somewhere, he felt the floor tremble. Somewhere, in his mind, he knew that this would not end well.

"Rest now, Omega." Even half-dead, Sofia Lamb had the gall to sneer at him, to mock him and his efforts. "Like Delta, your day is done."

Even as Naruto surged forward, even as he kicked the remote out of her hand, even as he crushed it beneath his boot, it was already too late. Roaring, he struck Lamb across the head with a heavy hand, delivering her to the depths of unconcsiousness. She would remain as such until he delivered the final blow; lingering in blissful sleep until he deigned to end her life.

That's when he heard it. Bloodcurdling screeches, worse than nails on chalkboard by a thousand fold, echoing about the cavernous space. Then there came another, and another. It was a sound the denizens of Rapture had come to loathe and fear. Even the Big Daddies of Rapture and Omega; Lancer though he was, were no exception. In the next instant Sofia Lamb was forgotten, her day of judgement forestalled as Naruto turned all of his attention to Eleanor Lamb.

"Big Sister is coming." She whimpered, trembling with fear. "Coming now!"

Naruto crouched and enfolded her in a tight embrace-not to tight, minding his armor. She snifled as he nudged her forward, ushering out of the room as swiftly as her faltering feet would allow. He'd head south, toward the security booth, toward those hacked camera's and turrets.

The ear-splitting screeches of Big Sisters filled the cavernous room and froze Omega in his tracks. It was a rapid succession of piercing wails that assaulted and overpowered the senses as they struck. The hollow man managed to isolate three distinct, individual wails before his world stopped shaking and the full use of his senses returned. In a heartbeat, he took off in an earth-shaking sprint towards Eleanor, scooping her up, even as she cried out in protest. North it was, then!

"Daddy!" Eleanor wailed, her little hands straining for Delta's corpse. "Daddy! No!"

Naruto ignored her. He had to get out of here. Now. He had to move. Before _they_ came. Before-

"Herr Omega, look out!" Tenenbaum's warning came an instant too late; the Big Daddy scarcely made it to the door before it swung open ahead of him; a dark abyss revealing nothing beyond. Something stirred in the pitch black, a flutter of movement to swift to immediately notice.

Then he saw it: A glint of dirty light reflecting off tarnished metal, and a malevolent red glow, glinting high back at him through a spider's web of crisscrossed steel girders. There was barely time for a single breath before a lithe helmeted figure catapulted onto Omega's chest. A glowing red porthole filled his vision as the Big Daddy was forced back a step, the impact knocking the wind from him, and Eleanor from his arms. A moment later the Big Sister leapt off of him, somersaulting through the air to land in a crouched position a few yards away. A piercing screech rent the air, leaving his ears incessantly ringing.

Blinded by rage Omega roared forward, his drill hammering into the sister's frail chest. She slumped with a small gasp, her death rattle overshadowing the sudden concern the Big Daddy felt upon realizing that his arms were indeed empty. Frantically he ripped the drill from he chest, scanning his surroundings, dimly registering the pitter patter of padded feet across the floor.

_'Where-_

**"Don't lose focus now, you ignorant fool!" **The fox roared at him, its words falling on deaf ears.

_'I just want to see if she's alright!'_

Despite his better judgement, Naruto stole a glance to where Eleanor had fallen. She yelped and pointed forward, just in time for him to bring an arm to bear; for the _second _Big Sister's needle to stab through his suit and into his supple flesh. Naruto howled in pain as the needle drank deep of his blood and with it, much of his ADAM. But the needle was connected to the sister's arm; making it a two way street. Sparks erupted from hirs right palm and flames the left as he laid both hands upon her, immolating his enemy in a cone of light and flame.

Big Sister shrieked again, but this time, it was a cry of pain. Firey sparks crawled their way across her skin and into her diving suit, worming their way underneath the helmet. Flames scoured her body, superheating metal, rendering her helpless against the elemental onslaught. Lacking the integrity of true steel, the needle sloughed off her wrist, alongside much of her skin. Omega refused to relent, even as he burned within the blaze as well. He continued to pour wave after wave into her flailing form, her cries becoming more and more feeble as he tightened his stranglehold. With a furious, rasping gasp, the Big Sister lashed out, hurling an incredibly large fireball at his chest. It impacted, and everything went red, blood tinting his visiong, forcing him to reel backward and release the sister.

Omega gritted his helmet hidden teeth as squelching noises reached his ears, indicative of the EVE and healing fluids from First Aid Kits now flowing through his veins. Through the red-tinged haze, he searched for his opponent. The Big Sister had toppled backwards as well, her helmeted head having struck the floor with a dull and ominous _craaaack. _Before he could renew his assault the casing burst open, falling apart to reveal the face within. Naruto lurched forward and froze at the sight of the enemy..

The features of the teenage girl were gaunt and pale, the result of a harsh, nightmarish existence that'd never seen the sun. Long raven wisps cascading down from a dirty rat's nest of hair swayed in front of her face, partially obscuring the maddening grin that twisted her cheeks. But nothing could hide her eyes. Two glowing yellow orbs stared back at him. They were the eyes of a Little Sister all grown up. Omega brought his laser to bear; took aim...only to lower it seconds thereafter.

He couldn't do it.

It had been one thing to fight a faceless opponent; a monster whose origins were unknown. It was another to face off against one of the sister's he'd sworn to protect. _This isn't one of those sisters,_ his mind screamed at him. She's going to kill you if you don't fight back! But it was no use. Looking at her now, he simply could not bring himself to raise his hand against the Big Sister. Unfortunately, the Big Sister didn't reciprocate his feelings in the slightest.

They circled one another; two of the deadliest creatures in Rapture. One, unwilling to kill, the other, determined to do just that.

Her grin turned into an animal snarl, before her face contorted into a cruel, twisted visage and a bloodcurdling screech erupted from her mouth. Soft yellow eyes flashed crimson. Arms raised high; she launched a trio of fireballs into the gloom, each projectile homing in on the hapless Big Daddy. Omega rolled aside, narrowly evading the first and second blast, but the third struck his helmet. Keening the Big Sister wrenched a piece of debris free from the floor and telekinetically flung it at his head, knocking his helmet ajar.

The pain was indescripable.

Dim light stabbed at his retina, forcing him to close his eyes and squint against it. Before he could react the sister was upon him, her baleful red eyes filling his porthole, her hands, wrenching it off and aside. She gave another mournful wail, hair whipping behind her, red eyes glowing like fiery pits of Hell. The world was bright; without the helmet, painfully so. He squinted at the sister, just in time for her to bring her hand down and end his life. In a last ditch effort, Omega lashed out with a half-hearted fireball; she contemptuously slapped it aside. And then he was out of EVE and her fist was streaking toward his face...

At the last second, the Big Daddy struck. His raised both hands, not in another plasmid, clenched them into fists, and brought them crashing down on the girl's unprotected head.

Now it was the Big Sister's turn to stop short.

Naruto opened his eyes to find the her needle hovering mere millimeters above his throat. She'd stopped at the last instant. Her red eyes were flickering, alternating between mournful amber and wrath-filled crimson. It felt like an eternity before the internal war abated, leaving her eyes aglow; an eerie yellow once more. Naruto pushed himself upright and the Sister jerked backward as though she'd been _burned._ As omega reclaimed a proper handhold on the wall, she raised her gaze to meet his.

"Daaaaaaaaaddy...

It rent the air between them, sharp and shrill, yet, in its own way, terrifed and abashed.

Omega's mind raced. Who beneath the waves would call him by that name? _Her?_ Impossible. But could it be? He had to know. He stepped forward. The Sister's eyes flickered in warning; a low warbling hiss left her lips as she spread her arms in warning. Her body posture screamed anger and confusion, and yet at the same time, bespoke of overwhelming relief and unerwhelming shyness.

Naruto raised his hands placatingly, wincing at the effort. The Big Sister seemed to shudder, moving back ever so slightly. The Big Daddy paused, then resumed, slowly moving forward one agonizing step at a time. The Sister gradually ceased her fearful retreat, and soon he stood within reach of her. With unsteady hands, he reached forward, clasping her shoulders. He peered down at her. Ghostly eyes gazed back at him filled by love and adoration, despite all he'd done to her. A meek, blissful smile blossomed on her face as he looked on.

"Who...are you?" Even with his restored vocals, it still hurt to speak.

Her soft smile was the only answer.

_"Who?"_ he repeated, stepping forward, pointing at her.

She cocked her head, blinked, gave a tentative nod.

Naruto snarled and stomped a booted foot. He wanted answers, damnit! The Sister seemed to tense at the sudden motion, fretfully, before stepping toward him for a second time. She nuzzled her head into his armored chest, uncaring for his anger, his confusion. The Big Daddy did not understand this. Clearly, this was not the woman from his memories. She was much too young. Who did that make her, then? He'd only ever bonded a single little sister, and only recently. So...why did this one call him Daddy? Perhaps...perhaps it had something to do with the blow to her head?

Oh kami.

_'Don't tell me I gave a Big Sister amnesia.' _he swore a silent blue streak._ 'Please, oh please, oh PLEASE don't let that be the case..._

"Daddy."she reaffirmed, hugging him tightly.

Kyuubi cackled madly.

**"I hate to say I told you so, but...I TOLD YOU SO!"**

_'Aaaargh!'_

Then, to make matters worse, Omega saw himself.

He caught sight of himself in a nearby puddle. He cringed at the sight of himself; hollow blue eyes once bright with life, now reduced to little more than a spark. Messy blond hair, matted down from years of wearing the helmet. And his skin...he shuddered at how pale he'd become, at the wires protuding from his neck. He didn't want to look at himself without the porthole anymore. Shaking his head, the golem of rapture reached down to reclaim his helmet, donning it shortly thereafter.

It was stifling compared to the open air he'd just experienced, the stale air threatening to choke him. But it was better than staring at his own horrid reflection. At least he thought so. The Big Sister seemed to share his opinion; she stared up at him in awe, golden eyes glittering. If anything, she looked more at ease now that he was wearing the helmet agaon. She wasn't the only one that needed reassuring, hpwever.

...mega!"

Groaning, Naruto gave his helmet a harsh thump, jarring the radio back into clarity.

"Herr Omega, are you alright?"

Omega gave a grunt of satisfaction and several nods. Then, taking a deep breath, he turned his head to take in the Big Sister. He was immediately rewarded by a sharp gasp from Brigid punctuated by several moments of heavy breathing. At last, she seemed to gather herself enough for a coherent reply.

"What...what is this you are showing me?"

"Big Sister." Naruto mumbled.

"Again, how is it that you are speaking?" she demanded. "How is it that you have regained this ability-

Naruto shook his head and jabbed emphatically at the Big Sister.

"Daddy!" The Big Sister chirruped happily, holding up his hand, nuzzling it against her cheek. There was a pained silence, then:

"Oh dear." Brigid sighed, the sorrowful note returning to her voice. "I think I begin to see problem here. Perhaps you should be bringing her to see me." Naruto rolled his eyes, reluctantly opening his mouth to reply, to say that much was obvious-

Then the screaming started again.

Omega staggered backwards in pain, ears ringing, falling to his knees. _That_ hadn't come from the radio. He risked a glance back at his newfound ally, awaiting her response, if any. The Big Sister cocked her head aside, frowning, eyes narrowed in the direction of the screams. Naruto warily raised his drill and balanced upon it, awaiting for a response from Tenenbaum, directions, perhaps.

There were none.

A flutter formed in his stomach as the second wave of shrieking came on

_Shit._

A fishook of fear lodged in Omega's gut and pulled him to his feet.

One big sister was bad enough. Two could be handled, given the right conditions, but three? Suicide. Complete and utter suicide. Time to retreat. When he turned to collect Eleanor however, she was gone. As was Sofia Lamb, a trail of blood leading away and out of the room. Briefly, Omega considered his options. He could pursue them. In Lamb's state, it would be easy to track her down, to wrest Eleanor from her arms; to honor the memory of the fallen Delta.

And then there was the matter of his new charge; the big sister. That, and her compatriots, now pursuing them. In the end, the answer was painfully obvious.

Screaming his rage, pulling his newfound ally alongside him, Naruto fled, the dogs of Rapture hot on his heels.

**A/N: And there you have it! As per request, I gave Sofia Lamb the beating she so righteously deserved! Now, remember everyone, Delta's "death", took place well before Jack found his way into Rapture. Naruto attempts to save Eleanor from her mother's amibtions-leaving Sofia at death's door in the procces, but to no avail. Even HE can't stand up against three Big Sisters. So he's forced to abandon the girl and flee into the depths of the city, the whole of Rapture hot on his heels. How can he possibly survive this one? And who on earth is that Big Sister? Care to guess anyone? Was it really just the blow that made her act like that? Or was it an underlying condition? Perhaps its someone from the surface? Lemme know what you think!**

**Also, for those of you who are wondering...DELTA WILL BE REVIVED!**

**Stay tuned to find out!**

**R&R! =D**


	3. Family

**A/N: Just got done playing Bioshock one and two AND just finished the bioshock infinite demo. Not quite sure what to make of it though, seeing as it takes place entirely in the SKY and very much out of Rapture itself. Meh, whatcha gonna do? This is my LAST new story for awhile. I'm contemplating moving my stuff, but I really need to update some of my stories...which reminds me! Ya'll can expect an update for OF FOXES AND TURTLES any day now! Look forward to it, ya know!**

**Anyhow, enjoy!**

_"The little ones, they are part of my reason for living. You, my friend, are another."_

_~Brigid Tenenbaum._

**Family**

Brigid Tenenbaum was a proud woman.

It was she who first discovered the sea slugs; she who first realized what they contained. ADAM. She who implemented the idea for the Little Sisters. She, who forced the ADAM induced madness upon them. It was all her doing. All her fault. She'd been the one to them this curse, to sully their innocence with the incessant craving for the stuff. As such, it was her duty to rescue them from the fate. She'd felt herself turned inside out, when she'd made the decision. Feelings, welled, geysered up in her, seething in her heart. In that instant she was once more a child-and she would become a mother, a mother to these girls. No longer could she bring herself to treat these children as experimental subjects. Their release was here release. Their freedom, her freedom.

Alas, that freedom had come at great personal cost to Brigid Tenenbaum.

Andrew Ryan did not tolerate betrayal lightly. He'd killed men for less; strung them up in Apollo Square like scarecrow! Such was his belief in the Great Chain of industry. To him, Brigid was merely another weak link, another voice of dissent to be silenced. She'd been dodging his splicers ever since. Because not only had she stolen the little ones from him and with them the ADAM; she'd stolen one of his most prized possessions.

Shortly after her defection, she'd discovered a new type of Big Daddy. The Lancer. Meant to guard the little ones of Minerva's Den, they were among the most versatile and the Daddies, and by far, the most lethal. One of the first of its kind, the Daddy then classified as Subject Omega had been superior to the Big Daddies of the olde generation in every conceivable way. Only the most recent Big Sisters posed any sort of real threat to him a threat that grew more and more prevalent with each passing day. Ah, yes. The Big Sisters. Sofia Lamb's answer to Ryan's infamous Big Daddies. Normally, they were confined to Persephone_-Lamb's territory-_kept away from Ryan's prying eyes and his horde of splicers.

She'd seen that dreadful armor only once before, having caught a glimpse of the suit in the halls of Fontaine Futuristics. A glint of dirty metal, in sharp contrast to the precise intrusments they used to conduct the study of the plasmid technology. Her then employer had been quick to dismiss such a thing, _her,_ and she hadn't thought of it since. The Big Sister project had been in its infancy then, a thought not yet implemented. Had she known this was all the machinations of Sofia Lamb; that this was the fate of her little ones once they were grown...

But the treachery of Sofia Lamb did not end there.

Rumor had it, she'd been making forrays to the surface, on occasion, in search of new hosts for the Protector Program. Thus far, they'd been after boys to be made into Big Daddies. Daddies loyal to Lamb. Not girls for the sake of harvesting raw ADAM. But it was only a matter of time before they ran out of viable little sisters. Soon their only source would be the surface. Soon, there would be many more little ones in Rapture. And so, Brigid Tenenbaum resolved to do prevent such a thing from happening. Just as she'd done that night, all those years ago...

Under cover of artificial darkness, she'd snuck one of _her_ little ones inside Fontaine Futuristics, equipped with the means to restore the mind of a single Big Daddy. Sadly the little one had perished shortly after restoring the subject's mind, but in the proccess, an unstoppable force of nature was reborn; freed from his shackles of ignorance and complacency, and thrust forth into the bitter depths of reality. She'd failed to anticipate what might happen once a Big Daddy's mind was returned to him; nor the brief but mindless bout of madness which soon followed.

To this very day, it was almost enough to bring a smile to her face. From what the little ones had told her, doctor Yi Suchong, mistakenly made an error. Shortly after the little one released Omega from the mind control plaguing his psyche, the korean doctor supposedly struck and killed her in a fit of fury. Omega reacted to that. Violently. Her unfortunate associate could still be found in his office, pinned to his desk by _that _drill...

_Omega's._

She'd given him back his mind, seeking an able ally in her crusade. She'd gotten more than she bargained for. An unstoppable juggernaut, with a heart of gold. A titan amongst titans; the strongest and fastest amongst his kind. And by far, the most kind. In recent weeks, she'd born witness to his every exalted efforts via the feed in his helmet. He cared for the Little Ones as if they were his own children, always watching them, always guarding them, protecting the when their Daddies strayed. She suspected this was a result of his pariah status on the surface. A desire to give unto others what he'd never been given. Love. And yet Omega was bonded to but a _single_ little one. Only hours before she'd watched him coddle the child; treating her as though she were his own flesh and blood! The last thing he'd done with her was deposit her in a nearby vent, before taking her words to heart; forasking her for a maddened sprint after Eleanor and Subject Delta.

They'd both seen how _that_ worked out.

Because said little one was currently curled up in Tenenbaum's lap, sobbing softly. Her green dress, matted with blood, wrung beneath tiny hands, her golden eyes planitively searching her own hazel. She'd crawled out of a vent moments ago, alone, distraught upon realizing her Daddy was nowhere to be found.

"Mama Tenenbaum," She sniffled, scrubbing at her eyes with the back of a dainty hand. "Is...Is daddy alright? Is he coming home?"

"There is no need to be worrying," Tenenbaum soothed, softly stroking the Little Sister's head, brushing away her tears. "Herr Omega will be returning soon. Until then we must be strong for him, yes?" The Little Sister nodded gravely; the mere mention of her precious protector more than enough to put the misery forth from her mind.

"I'll be strong for daddy." she promised.

Brigid forced a tenuous smile, determined not to let her anxiety show through.

"That is good."

She'd been monitoring Omega's progress via the camera atop his helmet. She'd seen Delta's demise at the hands of Sofia Lamb, witnessed the brutal attack on her person. She'd _seen_ the Big Sister; watched in utter amazement, in disbelief as Rapture's golems waged war one one another, a clash of the most technologically advanced Big Daddy vs. the twisted creatue that was the Big Sister. Their battle ending in the removal of Omega's helmet and a harsh blow to the Sister's head; resulting in her sudden reluctance to harm him.

The unlikely pair failed to retrieve Eleanor and were soon forced to flee, a horde of big sisters hot on their heels. However, a hefty blow to Omega's head during the fighting had knocked out the feed, leaving Brigid blind to whatever might be happening outside the ticket booth. Wherever they were, she could not help them now. Instead she was left in silnece; left to contemplate the meaning of the Big Daddy's last words to her.

_"Talk later!"_

Moments ago, Herr Omega had spoken. Spoken. To. Her! She could scarcely believe her ears! It was absurd! Impossible! Each and every subject of the Protector Program lost their ability to speak, their vocal cords torn and savaged during their descent into Big Daddydom! Brigid had come to accept it as fact, an inevitability. It was simply a given, another part of the process. That was why the Daddies only ever made those grunts and groans; because it was simply impossible for them to do anything else with their throats and vocal cords transformed into one large, scarred mass of tissue.

And yet, Omega had been speaking! Capable of words! Of coherent thought! Why had he kept this secret from her? What if-

Nein! She musn't think be thinking like this! Omega had only ever cared for her little ones! Never once had he harmed them! Not a once! For what possible reason would he begin now? No, she musn't, think that. Doubt was the enemy. To doubt Omega now was tantamount to disaster. She would wait until his return. Then she would ask the questions.

As in sensing her thoats, the radio roared to life.

An ear piercing shriek sliced through the static, followed by a foul-sounding oath; one Tehenbaum had uttered all too often in Omega's prescence. The sharp crack of a shotgun echoed through the radio, followed by too many sounds; the splitting screech of a Big Sister, the crackle of an electrobolt, the sizzling crackle of an Ion Laser. Eventually those sounds faded away, replaced by deafening silence. Tenenbaum swore, and an instant later, her hands fumbled for the radio.

"Herr Omega," She began slowly, fighting off the quiver in her words, "Are you alright?"

No response.

"Daddy!" The Little Sister sobbed, clutching at Tenenbabum's skirts, resolve breaking. Hugging the child to her breast, the young doctor chewed on her lip, nervously awaiting some manner of response. She adjusted all the dials, checked and double-checked the frequency in hopes of sustaining a reply. Nothing.

After nearly fifteen minutes of heart wrenching anxiety joyous relief spread through the inhabitants of the Atlantic Express station as a train pulled in; its doors hissing open to reveal Subject Omega. That relief lasted until the moment his companion was revealed. A Big Sister stepped out of the darkness behind him, her eyes radiating a soft yellow glow her shoulder the only thing keeping him from collapse. Relief quickly turned to panic, and panic to horror as she saw the hole in Omega's stomach, the thin sliver where the Sister's needle had pierce his suit. Tenenbaum frantically ushered the Little Sister into the security of the ticket booth with one hand, the other reaching through her holster for the handgun she always kept at her waist.

"Stop right there!" She issued a warning, waving the weapon about for emphasis. "I'll not have you come any closer!" When the sister refused to comply, she fired a warning shot, the round striking the ground at her feet and ricocheting wildly, the sister flinching back at the shot. "The next one will not miss!" Tenenbaum promised, slapping a fresh round into the depleted magazine. She gestured at the wounded Omega."Now, you will be dropping him!"

The Big Sister stood rigid as Brigid raised the pistol, her eyes flickering from warm amber into a cruel crimson. She seemed to forget all about the Big Daddy on her shoulder, dropping him like a sack of potatoes. Before Tenenbaum's eyes, she lowered herself into a predatory crouch, bringing her deadly needle to bear on her happless victim. Grinning murderously, she stepped toward the good doctor, death, in those firey red eyes. The doctor pulled the trigger-and found the pistol torn from her grasp by a harsh yank of telikineses. Found herself deafened, by another of those earsplitting shrieks.

Screaming her fury, the sister flung herself forward, pouncing with all the grace of a trained acrobat, driving Brigid to the floor, pressing her, against the damp concrete. Eyes blazing, she raised the needle high ready to plunge it clear through her neck. _So this is how it is ending, then. _Tenenbaum clenched her eyes shut, unable to bear the sight of her own demise.

There was a guttural growl; a snarl of exasperation.

Cracking open one eyelid, Brigid could see the massive form of the Omega standing behind the Sister, one gloved hand clenched tightly onto her wrist, holding her back. In one swift motion the Big Daddy quickly pulled her off of Tenenbaum into a standing position, firmly took hold of both her shoulders, and stared into her eyes. A disapproving grunt rumbled from the throat of the metal man. Something that sounded suspiciously like a sheepish whimper squeaked out from the Sister's mouth in reply, her eyes reverting back to their original dull yellow in the process.

**"Calm down."** he hissed, eyes blazing a baleful red behind the helmet, not unlike her own moments before. Big Sister nodded, cowed by the sudden brutality of the Big Daddy, her shoulders slumping. With a satisfied grunt, Omega turned his porthole toward the still prone Tenenbaum and pointed, jabbing not at her, but at the door for the ticket booth. At first, she was reluctant to comply with his request. An irate rumble convinced the good doctor otherwise and she hastened to find them, clamoring to get the door open.

Even then she couldn't help but tremble as Omega entered her office, Big Sister in tow. Both reeked of blood and ocean water, but it was Omega who seemed truly worse for the wear; the Big Daddy affected a limp as he shuffled inside, as the Big Sister tentatively lowered him onto the sofa, the couch groaning with the unexpected weight. He waved her concern away when she tried to administer to his wound. The Little Sister wasn't quite so easily dissuaded, however. The momen he sat down, she shot _up_ grinning broadly and shot to her feet, crossing to Omega with a small cry of relief and exuberance. She reached up for him, expectant, and, the exhausted Daddy wearily complied.

"Daddy's back!" She chirruped cheerily as he picked her up.

Sighing, the Lancer reached down to enfold his little sister in a warm embrace, the sort only a _true_ Big Daddy could hope to give. His entire body seemed to shudder_-whether from relief or exhaustion she knew not-_then before Tenenbaum could protest, he hoisted her high.

"Whee!" The sister squealed as he slung her onto his shoulder. "Daddyback ride!"

Omega chortled softly at her words but said nothing when she began to fidget. Raising an overlarge hand to pat his charge once on the head, he allowed her to clamor across his suit and onto his knee so she could look up at him properly. Her little hands promptly wrapped around his arm and held tight.

"Daddy!" The Little Sister gushed happily, delighted to be reunited with her precious protector once more. "I was with mama Tenenbaum! We told the other girls all about-**!****" **Then she saw the Big Sister. The Little Sister froze in midsentence, hopped down off his knee, her concern momentarily forgotten. She tilted her head, gazing in awe at the newcomer with wide, overlage eyes. "B-Big Sister?" Omega tensed. He had no way to know how either would react. Neither did Tenenbaum; but the doctor was reluctant to interpose herself between them after her near-death experience.

Little and Big, both sisters stared at one another.

Big Sister frowned, amber eyes narrowing in confusion. Little Sister blinked, torn between awe and terror. Big Sister stepped forward. Little Sister skittered backward almost before she realized Big Sister _wasn't_ going to attack her. No longer standing, no longer frowning, the elder sister knelt before her younger self, crouching; bringing her gaze to that of the girl's. She did not speak. Slowly, _tentatively_ Little Sister raised a hand, laying it to rest against the face of her sibling.

Big Sister blinked at that, marvelling at the tiny palm pushing upon her cheek.

She took it in her own, placed it within her hand, brushing the hair out of her eyes, scrutinizing. Abruptly, the Big Sister laughed. She _laughed; _it was a soft, lilting sound; that of a little girl's. In a blur of movement, she stood; sweeping her smaller counterpart off the floor and into her arms, holding her tight, spinning her round and round.

"Sister." She cooed at the Little Sister, childlike in her innocence, petting the little one's head, kissing her cheek, eyes glowing with affection. "Sister!" Omega stole a glance at Tenenbaum, hoping to gauge her reaction, only to find the scientist just as baffled, if not moreso. The Big Daddy shrugged. Would these miracles never cease? It was almost as though he were founding his own family, here in Rapture.

Speaking of family...

_"Daddy!"_

Naruto jerked his head around just in time as the Big Sister, still holding their charge, hopped into his lap. The Big Daddy grunted, the wind rushing out of his lungs. He _still_ didn't know what to do with this one. And the wound in his stomach_-though it'd already begun to heal-_did him no small disservice. He wouldn't be bashing any splicers for awhile yet. Best cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, he was forced to attend to an irritated Tenenbaum _and_ the pair of sisters sitting in his lap, each vying for his undivided attention.

**"Well, ain't this just peachy-keen."** The fox snorted, its words ripe with sarcasm. **"You're a regular night in shining armor, aren't you, Naruto-kun?"**

_'One more word and I'll flay you with your spinal cord, again.'_ Omega threatened._ 'Or would you prefer the usual; being beaten by your own tongue?'_

**"You wouldn't dare!"**

_'Try me.'_

**"Bah!"** It hissed back at him, but its voice was petulant, subdued. **"You win! Anyway, the brat's talking to you...**

..ddy?"

_"Urgh?"_

"Do you like Big Sister, daddy?" The Little Sister_-he really needed to find a name for this one-_asked him as she tugged at his arm, her little fingers laced within his own. Naruto opened his mouth to reply and snapped it shut before the words could escape. The Big Sister had heard him speak once already. How would the little one react? He'd no way of knowing. According to Tenenbaum, the little ones were condition to accept this face, that of the Big Daddy helmet, and suit. What would happen if he took them off? What would happen if he removed the mask?

"What's wrong, Mr. Bubbles?" His sister was looking up at him now, concern evident in her glowing amber eyes. "Don't you like Big Sis?"

It broke his heart.

Omega stroked her hair and said nothing. Because he was tired. Tired of his silence, of this facade, of not being able to say what he wanted to say. Here at least, he could be open with them. His allies. His family. Over the years he'd convinced himself it was necessary. But that was a lie. He was afraid. He'd seen his face once before already; that gaunt, skeletal visage, barely recognizeable as human. As a man.

Steeling himself, ignoring this discomfort he would surely feel without the facade, Naruto reached up to his helmet. With shaking hands, he reached for the latches that held his helmet in place. Thick fingers fumbled on the clamps. He paused. For a moment, memories of the last time he had removed his helmet surfaced. Big Sister, her needle at his throat, inches away from ending his life. But Big Sister sat beside him now earnest as the Little Sister in his lap. _No_, he thought, violently shoving the images from his mind, _not this time._ There was a hiss as the pressurized helmet released, his porthole fogging up with rushing air. Carefully, he removed the armored headgear, raising it over his head slowly, eyes squinting, but never closing. He wanted_-needed-_to see her reaction.

Tenenbaum looked at him with wide eyes, her mouth open in a round O. Naruto looked back at her, a muscle jumping in his jaw. _Say something,_ He thought, but the words refused to come. _Anything._ She refused. Soft hazel orbs welled up at the sight of him and as he looked on the tears began to flow freely, filled with remorse, and perhaps, pity.

"Herr Omega...

"This is my face." He said it aloud, more to himself than to Tenenbaum, or the sisters in his lap. He was expecting scorn. Rejection. Instead, he felt tears of his own when the Little Sister stood up in his lap, reaching up to pat his cheek. Her young eyes were wide, expressive, taking him in, all of him, and understanding. His lips worked wordlessly and again, nothing came out. She reached up to hug him, her little arms enfolding barely a quarter of his broad chest. Actions spoke louder than words. _You're my daddy,_ the gesture seemed to say. She patted his cheek a second time, and it was with a wooden effort that he managed pull her into his arms, into an embrace.

...I don't care what you look like either, papa. No matter what anyone else says...you'll always be _my_ daddy."

_Papa?_

Naruto nearly choked. He nearly lost his grip on his little sister; because _she _hadn't been the one to say that. There was _emotion_ in those words, so much that his fractured mind had to struggle just to make sense of it at all. Gratitude, a faint, flickering memory against the black bakdrop of Rapture. Affection, pure and unrivalled. _Adoration. _Sweet and unobscured by sin. His mind screamed _bloody murder_ at him, demanding he make sense of the jumble of images assaulting him.

_Why can't I remember?_

He flinched, a thousand shards of glass stabbing through his mind before he could pursue the thought.

"Did you just say...?" he trailed off expectantly, his gaze fixating upon her elder counterpart. The Big Sister stared back at him in surprise; as though she herself hadn't expected the words to come out. She pressed her hand to her mouth and blinked, taken aback by what she'd just said.

"B-Big Sister talkded!" The Littler Sister echoed his surprise, only slightly slurring the last word. "She talkded words! _Big_ words!"

At her sibling's words, however, Big Sister beamed brightly. It was a grin Omega already knew all too well.

_"Daddy!"_

Before Naruto could otherwise protest the teenager glommed him as well, wrapping her slender arms tightly around his stomach. Naruto grunted. The wound still caused him pain, but it was gradually fading away; less and less did he feel the bitter sting he'd first felt when the sister stabbed him. Awkwardly, he reached around to return the hug, his arms throbbing dully, ribs aching at the strength she possessed. And then it was done and she was looking at him with a look of such bliss that he couldn't help but smile.

"W-Well," Tenenbaum said finally, her voice thick with something other than her accent as she dabbed at her eyes. "Now that we have cleared the air, perhaps you should be doing some explaining, Herr Omega?"

Naruto nodded.

"Daddy's going to tell a story?" The Little Sister looked up at him, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. It was almost enough to draw a laugh out of him. Almost, but not quite.

"I was born on the surface." He began, voice raspy. "In a village, far far away from here...

_(One hellish explanation and a few tests later)_

"I am not seeing problem here." Tenenbabum smiled upon the culmination of Naruto's story, cunning in her eyes as the Big Daddy finished his explanation. "Nein...I think it is better that things turned out this way."

Omega grimaced, his irritation flaring. She hadn't handed him the answer he was seeking. He gave her a glare. And found her half-smiling at him, a knowing twinkle in her eyes. She looked like someone bursting with a happy inner secret. This was no time to be smiling! Lamb was still out there! If she'd overheard his whispered words to Eleanor, he was good as dead! Oh gods. _Eleanor._ The thought of Delta's death, brought a renewed sense of urgency to the situation, followed by a dull _ache _in Omega's chest; compounding the anger he already felt at sparing Lamb. Poor Eleanor. That poor, poor little girl.

"Mind telling me what's so damned funny?" He growled out, choking on the words. He hadn't spoken for a long time now; speech was still a painful and foreign concept to him. He wanted to kill something. No...that was not it. Naruto didn't want to kill something. Omega, the Big Daddy he'd become, wanted to kill someone. Sofia Lamb. He wanted to kill her now _right now_ and damned be the consequences! She'd been so much happier with Delta, and she'd killed him, right in front of her! No one deserved a mother like that.

**"Says the orphan."** Kyuubi grumbled.

_'Not another word.' _Naruto warned, his eyes darkening stormily._ 'That topic is taboo and you damn well know it.'_

**"I know _you,_ kit."** The fox continued, unabashed.** "Once, you would've killed to have known your parents, no matter how sick or demented they might've been. Would you really deny a little girl such a chance-**

_'That's does it! Out with your spine! OUT I SAY!'_

**"Aaaargh!" **His tenant yowled in pain as wave upon wave of scalding ADAM coursed through the veins of its host.** "Fine! Fine. I'll be quiet...**

Naruto shook his head; flinging himself back to reality once more...

...to Tenenbaum's strange expression.

Indeed, the doctor was looking at him oddly.

"We were...conversing."

"We?" Tenebaum blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. "Ah. I see. You speakof your...guest." She did well in hiding it from her face, but she couldn't _quite_ keep the grimace from her eyes. Whatever was trapped within this boy, whatever those people had put inside of him, his horrors far compounded the hell she'd once put the little sisters through. Still it was not right for him to view this blessing as a curse; it was precisely the opposite. This was a blessing in disguise, and yes, while the torment he'd endured because of it was indeed regrettable, here, in Rapture, he had a chance to wield it with purpse. For the greater good. Enhanced healing, superior stamina, recovering from near fatal wounds every aspect of him bespoke of benefiting from this union.

"Why the hell are you smiling?" Naruto hissed, croaking out the last words. She shook her head, briefly marvelling at him once more. If only they'd met sooner...no. Now was not the time for such thoughts. She pushed them aside, vowing to deal with them later. _Much_ later, when the forces of Andrew Ryan were not at war with Atlas; when the splicers of Sofia Lamb weren't breathing down their necks. Perhaps then she would give the matter thought. Perhaps then...

"Hey!" The Big Daddy growled, stomping a booted foot for emphasis. "Anyone home?"

Now it was Tenenbaum's turn to be drawn from her reverie. She blinked, ears burning. Without the helmet to obscure them, Omega had remarkably _blue_ eyes, shining like the sea. At present those eyes were narrowed in her direction, his brow furrowed in exasperation. _Best answer him then,_ she mused.

"So _now_ you wish to speak, Herr Omega." she reproved him mildly. "No matter. What I am saying is simple: this thing in your stomach, you called it a fox, yes?" At Naruto's nod, she continued. "It is very much being a blessing. Without it, you would not have your mind, nein! Your strenth! Not even your voice would be your own!" Tenebaum paused, allowing the weight of her words to truly sink in. "Without _that_ you would never have met these dear ones, either." Both sisters gasped at the realization, their hands imperceptibly tightening around Naruto's arms.

A tiny smile broke out on his chiseled face, like a crack etching along a stone surface.

"And just what would you have me do with this so-called _blessing_, doctor? Turn it loose against our enemies?" He let the question hang between them, pregnant with expectation. _Careful, Brigid._ She had to answer him truthfully. She'd be more than happy to do just that, to demand that they killed Andrew Ryan and then, Lamb. But-no. No, it was the safety of the little ones that mattered. Everything else came second. Revenge would have to wait. For now.

"Nein." She shook her head at last, a sorrowful note reentering her voice. "As much as I wish it were not so, the little ones are my only concern. Besides, base on what you have told me, I do not think you could control this creature, hmm? Omega flushed and jerked his head aside. It was all the answer she needed.

"Unfortunately, I do not think you can be using the plasmid to be curing the little ones effectively." She gestured at the pair in his lap. "Given your genetic composite, it is small wonder your body has not rejected ADAM and the plasmids outright, but I will not risk this." She smiled softly at his frown. "You would not want harm to come to them, I trust?" Omega glowered. While it was true that he wanted no harm to befall them that did not mean, by an stretch, that he wished misfortune upon the other little sisters and their Big Daddies.

"So...what's the plan?" Naruto asked, glancing down at his little sister. "How exactly to you plan to, well...cure them?"

"There may be another way-

"I'm not harvesting them!"

_"Nein!"_ Tenebaum chastised. "That is not what I meant!" She cast a significant glance to his stomach. "It may be possible for _you_ to cure them, however. To replace the ADAM...with your own DNA." Naruto's gaze grew cold and hard at that; he was the Big Daddy once more, determined to safeguard his charge. Brigid verbally backpedalled. "Not only your own! If you can control it, using the power of your...ahem..._tenant _then might it be possible for suplant the sea slugs in their bellies? To simply cleanse them of the ADAM and replace it with something like-

Omega growled.

Whatever else she might've said died the moment he made that sound.

"You're asking me to put bits and pieces of that...that _thing,_ inside little girls." He let the statement hang, an invisible noose tightening about her throat for every second she was silent. "Do you have any idea what you are asking me? Any piece of that thing's power, no matter the amount, no matter how small, no matter how miniscule, is evil. Cruel. Its very energy has a will of its own, constantly seeking to supplant that of mine! As it stands, this things is worse than the slugs in their bellies!" He stood, pushing the Little Sister from his lap and into the Big Sister's arms. "And in spite of this, knowing this, you want me, to give them that power. The kind of power that could destroy the world. Why, that's just peachy-keen! What could possibly go wrong,**_ doctor Tenenbaum?"_** His voice had been rising, and now it rose to a hollow roar, one that left Tenenbaum and the sisters deafened.

"Daddy's scary...

"Only if you can control it." Tenenbaum replied, unflinching in the wake of his rage.

"You think I haven't tried!" Naruto snapped back, his eyes snapping scarlet and slitted. "See?" He stabbed a finger at the blazing orbs. "Even now he wants out!"

**"Oh, I wonder why! Maybe because you threaten me with TORTURE on a daily basis? And after all I've done for you! Ungrateful little brat...**

_'Shut. The. Fuck. Up!'_

"Would you rather wait years for plasmid to be perfected?" she pressed. "While the city falls around us? I want what is best for the little ones. For that, I need a human host for the plasmid to take effect! Short of some god-sent savior finding his way down here, this will not be happening! The plasmid cannot take, not with you! You know this is true!" Omega bit back his words, reigning in his venom at the last instant. She had a point there, thought he'd never admit it.

"Could an Alpha series cure them?" he asked suddenly.

"What?"

"Weren't they the most human of the Big Daddies?" Naruto pressed on. "Couldn't _they_ handle the plasmid?"

"Perhaps...no. It is impossible." She shook her head in dismissal. "What few of the Alpha that remain are already bonded. Just as Subject Delta was to Eleanor Lamb. If we break this bond, they will lapse into coma or a unreasoning rage." Naruto blanched, his already pale skin bleached of color at the thought. Right. He'd forgotten all about that. Poor Delta. But Tenenbaum was right. They _couldn't_ afford to sit idly by while Rapture ran herself into the ground. They had to take action.

"So, I'll take the plasmid anyway."

"I would not suggest-

Naruto pinnioned her with a gaze. He let it fall upon the pair of sisters, Big and Little, staring placidly back at them. She saw something in his gaze, an emotion too infinite to comprehend. When he turned his gaze back to her, there was a fire in those burning orbs, steel in his voice.

"I wasn't asking, doctor."

Brigid Tenenbaum opened her mouth to refute his so-called noble idea; to insist that exposure to the plasmid would undoubtedly be the end of him. It was noble, that he was willing to risk his life for the little ones. But Rapture was the death of many great men. What made him an exception? Who was to say he wouldn't expire on the spot? But there was that something, in his eyes. Something that told her to trust. To believe. It was then that she realized he was going to do this, with or without her help. As if the fool could do such a thing!

Tenenbaum sighed, pushed a hand through her hair; she was still young, but stress was causing it to grey around the edges. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, man, this Big Daddy, this Omega. He would not be dissuaded. Could not be convinced. He would save the little ones or die trying. Such was his decision. The least she could do was honor.

"Come," she beckoned, moving toward the door leading to her lab. "We will run tests."

Naruto nodded.

Both sisters, Big and Little alike, waited until Omega and Tenenbaum had gone; until the sound of their footsteps had died away to utter silence, before they giggled.

_In unision._

**A/N: MWAHAHA! The mystery of the Big Sister thickens! In this chapter we see that Naruto/Omega is not in fact, immortal. He can be wounded. He CAN be killed. He is not some super-powered omnipresent Big Daddy capable of breaking the fourth wall...LOLZ. He's human underneath that suit, though Rapture has indeed worn some of that away. Andrew Ryan and Sofia Lamb, as well as a certain impersonator (you know who it is if you've played the first Bioshock) have one hell of a reckoning headed their way come the next few chapters.**

**Good heavens though, Naruto curing the little sisters by imbuing them with bits of Kyuubi's chakra, thereby supplanting any trace of their ADAM addiction...what could possibly go wrong? Forget his village, what would the WORLD think if Naruto returned with a small army like that? And it might just happen if Naruto ends up taking the plasmid, potentially proving his fears of creating an army of pseudo-jinchuuriki to be unfounded. **

**Lovely little morality system I'm implementing, huh?**

**Note: Naruto, will bond to more than one little sister throughout the course of the story. Characters from his world _may_ appear. Jack and Delta will still play their respective parts in times to come and if either is fool enough to harvest, well...DADDY IS ALWAYS WATCHING. Seriously though, I cannnot see how ANYONE would harvest the little sisters. They're just too damned cute!**

**Next chapter, Jack arrives in Rapture! One can only wonder how Naruto's little 'family' will take to this unwelcome intrusion in their midst. And if you're wondering we're I've come up with the brilliant lines for the little sisters, well, just type in little sister quotes part 1 and 2 on youtube. Gave me a LOT of ideas and material to work with =D**

**So be sure to review..._would you kindly...and enjoy this small taste of what is to come._**

**_Preview:_**

Behind him the boots of the pursuing Daddy rose in a wild thunder that made Jack sweat a blue streak. What the hell was wrong this Big Daddy! He didn't even have a little sister with him! The massive metal monsters usually left him alone unless provoked, but this one simply attacked him on sight, bellowing its fury. Time for a change of tactics. Before his pursuer could slow enough to bring his weapon to bear, the man spun around and came to a halt; extending his arm, thrusting his fingers forward crooked in a claw. Big, fat sparks splayed from his fingertips, crackling across his palm.

But before he could fire, the Daddy raised a hand, fingers coated with a thin layer frost. Jack had only an instant to recognize the plasmid before the floor turned to ice beneath his feet; before he was sent hurtling forth and forward. And then the Daddy was on him again, bodyslamming him like a pro wrestler. Jack fell to the street, the breath knocked out of him, the Daddy's massive bulk crushing him against pavement. So that's that huh? he coughed up a bloody wad of phlegm as his attacker loomed over him, heft some kind of homemade laser.

Then he paused.

He could almost feel the Daddy's confusion behind the slim helmet.

"You're no splicer." It rumbled.

Jack balked.

"Who the hell are you?"

**R&R! =D**


	4. Decisions, Decisions

**A/N: Just got done playing Bioshock one and two AND just finished the bioshock infinite demo. Not quite sure what to make of it though, seeing as it takes place entirely in the SKY and very much out of Rapture itself. Meh, whatcha gonna do? This is my LAST new story for awhile. In other words, decided not to move. That's right! I'm staying here! And for a final note, the little sisters in this fic take the appearance of those darling little ones from the SECOND Bioshock game, not the first, but relatively little else is changed. Just wanted to put that out there for those who might be able to be curious or wondering.**

**Now, would you kind enjoy this chapter?**

_"Nothin's real here, doll. 'Cept death, of course."_

_~Frank Fontaine._

**Decision**

Andrew Ryan was barking mad.

Why?

Because his city was in ruins. His people, now disheveled splicers. Without the pheremones control, they wouldn't even listen to him. Little Sister's were vanishing, leaving their grief-stricken protectors behind. The Alpha series was announced as a failure; because the pairbond was simply too successful. Bereft of their little sisters, the Big Daddies were either rendered comatose, or fell into madness. The newer Rumbler's and Rosie's, however, presented no such problem, as they were conditioned to bond with the first sister they came into contact with. Still...

Rapture was coming apart at the seams. Crashing down around his ears. Leaks were reported throughout the infastructure. Despite all he'd done, citizens were deserting in droves, those who could not escape turned to ADAM to drown their sorrows. And for those who escaped, theirs was of a final sort. Death, was the only way out of Rapture. Unbidden, Andrew Ryan hazarded a glance at the pistol, he kept in his desk drawer. Perhaps he too, should take that final escape...

_Don't start what you can't finish, boy._

The words of his father echoed in his mind, haunting him; because they rang true, even now. _No._ He forced trembling fingers away from the drawer _away_ from the pistol. Suicide was a coward's way out. It was the way of the weak.

Andrew Ryan was not weak.

He'd founded Rapture. Given birth to it; given it form, substance, _existence_ when it had been a mere inkling, a simple idea in the midst of his mind. Now, years, later, fate seemed determined to finish what Andew Ryan had started, to fell the Great Chain he'd worked so hard to build. He sat here, in his private office in Hephaestus, knowing he was alone in his city; that he was one of the few sane minds remaining. Knowing that he alone was responsible

Not only had the war with Atlas ended in utter disaster for both parties involved. Not only did he lose more and more of his forces each day to the treachery of Sofia Lamb, not only was there chaos/rioting in the streets as ADAM-crazed splicers ran amok, but now, another threat loomed forth from the darkness, blackening the horizon of the Great Chain.

Doctor Brigid Tenenbaum.

She'd bitten the company hand-his hand-by fleeing with several of the Little Sisters. By stealing them, she stole from Rapture itself! Parasite! She'd no right to take them from him! Nor did she, to corrupt one of his Big Daddy's; to give the man back his mind!

He'd seen this _Omega_ of hers, this Lancer-Class Big Daddy, the most sophisticated of its kind. The security cameras had taken multiple pictures of the hulking metal titan. Until recently, he'd had no reason to suspect a Big Daddy of espionage. But the footage before him took that claim and filled it with lead. He pressed REPLAY again, still unable to believe his eyes. The footage began again, before him; a grainy black and white image projected onto the screen, a dimly lit corridor swarming with splicers and incoherent babble.

_Shouts._

_Screaming._

_Gunfire._

_And finally, silence._

_Then over the silence, came a voice._

_"Mr Bubbles?" Someone sobbed. "Mr. Bubbles! No! No no no no! Please get up, Mr. Bubbles!"_

_The voice of a little sister whimpered through the footage; it was a soft, mournful sound, crying out in pain, crying out for help._

_Then it happened._

_As if summoned by her voice from the shadows themselves, the slim yet hulking form of a Lancer plodded into view. While Lancers'were rarely seen out of Minerva's Den, this wasn't cause for alarm. What happened to the this one, was. Because there was something strange in its stride. It seemed cautious. Wary, even. Its helmeted head turned to survey the damage, to take in the destruction wrought by the splicer horde only falling upon the little sister when it was certain that the room had been cleared. He drew in a deep breath..._

_...and spoke._

_"I'm here to bring you back to Mama Tenenbaum, little one." He drawled, speaking in clear tones, with only the slightest hint of an accent. Ryan nearly had an annurism the first time he'd heard. Now, he felt only a cool bitter fury whenever he heard the man's voice. This man was a thief. A charlatan. Fake. Fraud! He was a parasite, stealing from the heart of Rapture! But this parasite was a clever one. He knew where to hide when the splicers came, knew how to fight, to protect the little ones the_

_Inevitably, his anger cooled, and his attention was lost on the recording once more._

_"Daddy?" The Little Sister asked, her voice trickling through the static as the Lancer thumped towards her unseen position the screen. Then, louder: "Daddy." A low sigh reverberated through the Big Daddy's helmet. A human sigh. He shouldered the Ion Laser, holstering weapon across his back, thereby freeing his hands for what came next. With a sharp twist and a harsh expulsion of steam, the helmet clattered to the floor. Andrew Ryan would've loved nothing more than to have seen his face, but it was not to be._

_The camera panned downward as it always did, focusing on the sniffling sister instead._

_"Are you here to take me home-_

_Whatever the sister might have said was swallowed up by a squeal of static. The Big Daddy's response, however, now offscreen, was not._

_"Ryan can't hurt you anymore, Masha."_

_Even now, hearing it for the third time, Andrew Ryan bristled at the Little Sister's response to that name. She quivered trembling from head to toe as the camera zoomed in focused upon her. And yet even as the image quelled and swam into focus, the mere prescence of the Big Daddy proved more than enough to drive the terror from her frame._

_She sat atop the fallen bouncer, filthy knees curled into an equally filthy dress. Her golden, tearstained eyes were widey, fixated upon the hollow man's unseen visage, her mouth open in a round O. Both shock and awe were short-lived, however, as a blissful smile adjourned her features. "Daddy!" She cried, standing from the corpse of her protector, little arms straining for her myserious savior. Wordlessly he reached for her as only a true father would. The little one squealed as the Lancer picked her up, hoisting her high and onto his shoulder. The camera followed, seeking the man's identity-seeking justice!-and the Daddy turned; his face hidden, in a blanket of shadow, blue eyes shining within the darkness._

_"Oooh," The Sister cooed, patting his cheek with a grimy hand. "Daddy's pretty."_

_A dry chuckle reverberated from the tin man as he reached down for his helmet._

_"Not pretty, Masha." The Lancer's voice warped as the helmet's filters kicked in; he was the iron man once more. "Handsome." He ruffled her hair, gloved fingers patting a bloodstained cheek, pushing past her torn bow to batt at her ponytail. Masha giggled and nuzzled her cheek into his hand, her fear forgotten._

_"Where are we going, Daddy?" she asked._

_The Big Daddy turned then, his porthole glaring up at the camera, and Andrew Ryan could almost feel the smile behind that helmet._

**_"Home."_**

The last thing the camera saw was the remote hack dart screaming toward it. Then static prevailed upon the scene and the image was lost. But the sound was not. The voice_-his voice-_remained, mocking him, jeering as he squirmed in his chair, as the man who'd founded Rapture seethed in his own impotence.

_**"Greetings, Mr. Ryan."**_ His voice had a deep rumble to it, like a lion waiting for prey. _**"If you're listening to this, then you know who I am. What I am capable of. You do not know me but believe me when I say that I know you. You should also believe me when I say that I did not choose to come to Rapture. I was brought here against my own will. Taken from a life that I can no longer remember. I was made into something monstrous within **_**your**_** city, grafted into a grotesque creature whose mind was not his own. And yet, I feel as though I should thank you " **_He paused then and in the silence, the incessant _drip-drip-drip_ of leaking water, could clearly be heard. Well, that certainly did little to discern his location. Most of Rapture was leaking, but before he could think further, the recorded voice droned on and into the darkness.

_**"Where it not for you, were it not for your machinations, I would never have known what I know now. A family. You have given me peace of mind, Mr. Ryan, and for that, you shall have my eternal gratitude. I know next to nothing of my life before I found myself here; even now the memories escape me. But because of you I now have a home, desolate though it may be.**_

He laughed; it was a deep, throaty sound, utterly devoid of warmth and happiness.

_**"I am told you are a man who respects this sort of thing. Bulding oneself up from nohing. Making a life where there is none to be had. Out of respect, for that...character, I give you a friendly piece of advice; I suppose you could call it a warning, if you are so inclined: Surrender. Now I'm certain you must be asking yourself: why should I listen to him? What power does he hold over me? Well while I claim no such sorcery, I DO claim your city. All the little ones, all the ADAM, even those misbegotten fools, you call splicers. They are mine. Not yours. Mine. Why, you ask? Why, I'll tell you why, Mr. Ryan. Its quite simple, really.**_

The silence was deafening.

_**"RAPTURE BELONGS TO ME NOW."**_

Hearing those words again still invoked that dread image...

_**"I will purge her of the corruption that plagues her metal flesh; I will cleanse this city of these drug addicts. I will free the Little Sisters, reclaim my past, and destroy all those who dare oppose me and my family **_**and then I will end you.**_** It will not be a swift death. You will suffer, just as you've made the little ones to suffer. Settle all your old debts and make ready your will, Mr. Ryan. This so-called 'parasite' is coming for you, sooner than you might think...**_

With trembling fingers, Andrew Ryan silenced the feed. It was only a recording, he told himself. What damage could a single Big Daddy do? What did it matter if his intelligence had returned, if his mind was his own? As he thouht, it was nonsense. Utter nonsense! The splicers, the daddies, even the little sisters, all of them obeyed the pheremone controls. He'd need a small army to breach the walls of Hephaestus Station! _Wait._ Though he thought it absurd, an inkling of an idea had occured to him. Could he be working with Atlas? Conspiring against him? That was it, wasn't it! A scare tactic! Ad it was her fault.

Tenenabum.

This was all her doing!

So, he thought he could shelter that wretch, Tenenbaum, did he? Well, they'd just see about that.

With fumbling fingers Andrew Ryan took out the audior recorder from his desk and began to record a message of his own. He did not dare voice his feelings of fear and concern, even here, in the privacy of his office. He knew better. Instead when he spoke, embuing the device with yet another chatper of his storied legacy

"I have discovered a traitor within our midst. This Big Daddy, this Omega. He speaks to the Little Sisters. He...He _preaches_ to them of the...of the wonders of the surface!" Disgust dug into those words twisting and burrowing in his flesh, warping aging features into an infuriated scowl. "Sullying their minds with propoganda! Is he a spy, I wonder? A men sent by Washington to ferret out the secrets of my success? If so, then I have no choice. I must endeavor to prevent his lies from spreading before it is too late." A slow, cold smile drew his face taut. "And I have just the poison for this_...parasite."_

Smiling smugly, he ended the recording there.

Word had reached his ears of these 'Big Sisters' created by Sofia Lamb. They were nothing more than a nuisance at present. Confined to Persephone, not yet released into the halls of Rapture. However, if one were to be utilized against a Big Daddy...the outcome would certainly be less than pleasant for both parties involved. Indeed, even a Lancer might not emerge unscathe . But how to go about it? How could he wrest away such a creature from the clutches of Lamb? He needed to think on this. Bide his time, gather his resources...

"I will prevent this." He murmurred darkly.

He leaned forward, steepling his fingers, losing himself in thought.

"I _must_ prevent this...

* * *

_(Years later)_

The little sister looked deceptively insignificant against the backdrop of the sunken city that had once been Andrew Ryan's paradise. Her soft golden eyes gleamed hotly, thick with unshed tears. Her protector lay at her feet, crushed beneath a small mountain of debris. Dozens upon dozens of metal girders perforated his suit and helmet; it had been a swift_-albeit bitter-_end to the tenure of one of Rapture's greatest titans. Despite that, or perhaps in spite of it, the little sister refused to leave the bouncer's side.

"Mr. Bubbles! She wailed, tugging frantically at the giant's hand, a hand that held hers only moments before. "Please, get up!" Her little feet scrabbled at the floor as she struggled to pull her protector out of the pile, to no avail. "Get up!" She sobbed, tears gushing from the corners of her eyes, spilling over the edges, trailing down her cheeks. "Why won't you get up!" Then, more softly...

"M-Mr. B-Bubbles...

Where one to witness this scene, they would see nothing but loss, feel nothing but grief; perhaps pity, even heartache for this poor little girl.

To the keen eye of a splicer, however, she displayed several desirable qualities. No big daddy to guard her; only that small needle to defend herself; without any skill to properly wield it whatsoever. She was alone, and alone was good, to the small gang of splicers as they crept through the darkness toward her. Within moments they were upon her, pawing at her fragile form all drooling mouths and beady eyes, utterly devoid of sanity whatsoever. And yet they spider splicer and his cohorts lingered, skulking in the shadows, just out of reach.

Because he and his boys were wary, and rightfully so.

Though there was no longer any need to fear her big daddy, there was another, far deadlier, demon that prowled the halls of this city. And she was always in search of new meat' always eager for fresh prey, for splicers fool enough to challenge her. A piercing screech _always _heralded her arrival, and bloodshed often preceeded her departure. Here, this close to her territory_-to Persephone-_it was not uncommon to encounter her, this old nymphof legend, this fable, this monster.

A ghastly wail tore through the halls of Rapture.

"Big Sister doesn't want you playing with me." The Little Sister said, her golden eyes gleaming with fear and fright. Scarce had she spoken than the soft pitter patter of padded feet descended upon them. As one, splicer and spider alike turned toward the sound, their ADAM insanity momentarily forgotten in the wake of this new arrival, With porthole gleaming red and needle dripping blood ribbon-tied cage bound to her back, she swept forward, shrieking her unholy fury.

_Big Sister was here._

She sprang into the midst of them before they could move, whirling around with the needle as a bludgeon, cracking skulls and snapping arms. A handful fell away, howling and clutching themselves, but the rest leapt in screaming. She smashed a man with a boot in the neck, lifting him off his feet and sending him crashing into the wall of the ramp. Two more thuggish splicers hacked at her legs with jagged pieces of pipe. She dodged one, but took a cut from the other, then ran him through.

More darted in, slashing and chopping and shooting.

The soft thump of her padded footfalls was quickly drowned out by the sound of a back wall exploding outwards. The Big Sister whirled around to see the gorilla like form of a Brute Splicer standing in a new hole in the wall, bits of tile and concrete strewn about. The ape like monster gave a roar as he stared at the suited teenager with beady eyes, a battered bowler hat, dwarfed in comparison to its wearer, tilted atop its ugly head. A ghastly grimace tore its way across his face as it beheld her; a single sister was no match for him in terms of sheer strength.

But a Big Sister did not rely on strength to win the day. She relied on stealth, speed, and surprise. In other words...

_...Big Sis cheated._

With her free hand, she flicked a fireball toward the Brute Splicer, the fireball impacting upon the brute's chest, just as it began its ill-fated charge. Its roar of anger died, warping into a cry of agonizing pain as the blaze consumed him, immolating him as he ran, further fanning the flames. Howling in pain, blinded by rage, he ran for the water only to loose his footing and tumble into a puddle. Big Sis snapped her fingers and the flames were gone, replaced by big, fat sparks of lightning. A low, keening hiss that could have been laughter, snaked past her porthole.

The Brute Splicer had just enough time for a deep-sounding:

"Uh-oh."

And then he was dead.

With a flick of the wrist, an arc of blue tinged volts shot from her hand, striking the water. Instantly, they shot through the wide puddle, crackling and hissing, and the brute splicer, along with the dozen or so poor souls that had been standing in the water, fell screaming as the electricity coursed through them.

And still more came; baying for the sister's blood, for the ADAM within the little one behind her.

She pulled on the needle. It was stuck in the splicer's ribs. She hissed, a petulant sound, and then they were upon her. A dagger gashed her back a wrench smashed her shoulder. A bullet grazed her her thigh. Thinking themselves secure with her right hand trapped in the entrails of her latest victim, the splicer horde showed no mercy. They pounced upon her as one, hacking and slashing and stabbing until they were certain that she'd died, that the eerie red glow in her porthole had faded to a mere flicker. They closed in around her certain of their victory.

"Gotcha now!" A thuggish splicer tittered, looming over her with a wrench. "Yer nothin' but a-

Big Sister _hissed_ and the thuggish splicer_-along with four of the remaining fifteen splicers-_ignited where they stood. The rest scrambled away from their flaming fellows, eager to distance themselves from the very much alive guardian of the sisters. But it seemed as though it was her last.

Her body slumped forward, beset by bullets holes, battered and bloody. She staggered wildly about, weaving a drunken path, through the horde of suddenly wary splicers; none willing to test the waters of her wrath for a second time. She reached a trembling hand toward the Little Sister, straining at her with broken fingers.

And then the Little Sister did something unexpected. Even as her elder counterpart tottered on her feet, even as the light faded from her porthole, she thrust forward with the ADAM-gathering needle. She depressed the trigger with a small 'click' and then it was done. Instead of draining ADAM as was its wont, the needle _injected_ the genetic goop _back_ into the Big Sister.

"That ain't gonna do bunk!" One of the splicers: a thin, gangly man, clad in a dirty white suit protruding with tumors said. He cackled darkly as he advanced, stepping over the fallen form of the Big Sister. "It's just you and us now, girlie...which leaves us! Ha!" He paid no heed to the corpse, and neither did his cohorts, as they crowded around the little sister. The leader of them, the splicer with the shotgun, leered expectantly.

"That pinprick of yours just means more ADAM for us!" crowed another.

Unbenknonwst to them, the result of that "pinprick" was as immedate as it was horrifying. For the Big Sister at least.

Her wounds dried up, the ADAM-grey flesh seamlessly knitting itself back together as the sticky substance coursed through her veins. Big Sister gave a silent shudder, a ripple of ecstasy blossoming across her body and setting her every nerve on edge. Strength surged through her slender frame, empowering her lithe body. No one noticed the needle as it removed itself from its sheathe effortlessly sliding free from the ribcage that had entrapped it moments before. None of them noticed, not a one; because they were too focused on the little sister, leaving their backs to her.

_Papa..._

She blinked slowly, the world blurring before her eyes, between this life and the next. What was she seeing? Ghosts? Oh, right. The Splicers...

She could see the Little Sister between their feet, whimpering as the shotgun-wielding splicer reached for her.

"Now then, lil' missy.. we're gonna take this niiiiiiice and slooooooow...

The Little Sister yelped and stabbed his hand with her needle.

"You're gonna pay for that, you little shit!" The splicer swore and snapped off a shot at the _little sister,_ sending the girl skittering backwards. And then he heard the hissing, felt the weight on his shoulders as something used him as a springboard. Terror, as that something knocked him to the floor and laid him flat, straddling him.

His last sight was that of an _awful_ red glow swelling before his vision. With a sickening squelch, she plunged her massive needle into the base of his neck, the gleaming syringe sticking out at a crazy angle as it slid into him. There was a slight squelch of suction, and then a light gurgling noise as the ill-fated Splicer's insides were sucked out, but all other sounds were quickly drowned out as the Sister reared her head back. She let out a banshee scream. Even the Splicer's feeble death throes were obscured.

The scream faded as quickly as it came, and the Sister extracted the needle from the freshly-made corpse with a sickening pop as she stepped back and took a deep breath. Memories crashed down around her ears; all too swiftly, much too fast. Not memories of her time as a Big Sister. Memories of...of...something else. She stood there a moment, rocking from side to side, cast adrift in an endless sea of nostalgia. This felt familiar, a bit too much so. As if...As if she'd been here before...done this before...not here...in another life...

Suddenly there was pain, blotting everything else out, pushing her mind and memories away. Out of her grasp. No, that wasn't right. She wanted to remember. Didn't she? She reached for them,_ straining_ fixating upon a single scene upon a grassy knoll: She stood at the bottom, and he at the top, looking down at her. She strained to make out his face, but it was hidden in shadow, even though the sun shone warmly between them. A hand, held out to her, outstretched, waiting for her to climb up to him.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked, his mouth a gorgeous streak of white in the darkness. "Come here."

Warmth exploded in her chest as she clamored up the hill, a feeling of boundless joy words could not hope to describe. Yet no matter how hard she ran, he only seemed to grow further and further away, receding into a great darkness as the cloud swallowed up the sun. She cried out as she reached for him. For that face, for those eyes. Wide, expressive blue eyes, so very bright so very very lovely-

"Sh-She got Barry!" One of the splicers screerched abruptly, shattering the moment_-his face!-_and the image, forevermore. "Get her!"

_Kill them._ Her instincts screamed, overpowering her will, the words blurring together in a haze of scarlet blood. _Kill. Kill kill kill killl KILL..._

Big Sister snarled, _enraged,_ and shot out a wave of firey heat and flame as her vision turned crimson and black and a roaring filled her ears. She threw back her head and let loose; an ear piercing shriek shrilling out of her helmet, deafening all who dared opppose her, who _dared_ to threaten _her_ little sister. The men and women around her gasped and cried out. She inhaled their fear and leapt at them, leaving the needle where it was, as she stalked toward them. She didn't want a weapon.

It would only keep her at a distance from her victims.

When they were dead, when their broken bodies lay still at her feet, only then did Big Sister search for the Little Sister. She found her there, hunched behind the prone form of her once proud papa. _Papa._ With a pull an a tug, the battered helmet came free, exposing _raven_ locks and soft, _yellow_ eyes to the gloom. She would save this little one, yes. Bring her back to father. To daddy. He'd be so proud of her. So very proud! She felt as if she should remember something about daddy, just then. Something important. It niggled at the back of her mind, whispering soft nothings to her. But what? Oh well. If it was _that _important she'd remember it sooner or later...

...right?

Ignoring her throbbing temples, Big Sister stepped around the corpse of the fallen proctector, offering the girl a hand. Tentatively, she took it and allowed herself to be helped into the ribbon-bowed cage at her back. In an instant she was secure and Big Sis was moving again, carrying her deeper into the dimly lit, leaky corridors of Andrew Ryan's city.

"Are you taking me home, Big Sister?" she asked.

Big Sister nodded.

It wasn't a lie. Not really. She _was_ taking her home.

Back to Daddy's house.

* * *

_(Meanwhile, with Tenenbaum)_

Masha loved lollipops. She wanted a lollipop! Maybe Daddy would give it to her if she pleaded _really_ hard...

"Mama Tenenbaum?"

The scientist sighed softly as she pulled a comb through the child's hair.

"Yes, child?"

"When's Daddy coming home?" she asked, kicking her barefeet against the german woman's skirts. "Is he bringing me a lollipop?"

The scientist stoically fought off a grimace as she stared down into the golden little eyes of the child. A child who knew only an artificial sense of peace; blissfully ignorant of the decaying underwater world around her. If they removed the slugs from the little ones, what would they be like, she wondered? Once they found a way to cure the ADAM sickness without killing them, what would these little girls think of Rapture? Would they see a grand, magical city beneath the sea? Or would they know Rapture for what she truly was: the home of a despot; a tyrant who clung to the faded remnants of normalcy while his people perished around him?

Without the eternal bliss given to them by the ADAM they craved these little girls would probably be too terrified to ever see the surface. Without Tenenbaum to guide them_-without someone protect them-_the little ones-inclnding the one sitting in her lap-would truly be helpless. Unable to cope and without their parents, thrust forth into the sudden change from a lifetstyle that knew only angel's and rosies and pleated sunshine. Thanks be to god that there was at least a _single_ constant in their lives.

"He vill be home soon." She reassured her charge, struggling over the words, and not just because of her accent. "Und I am very sure he vill be bringing you very many sweets."

"And a lollipop?" The little girl asked gravely. She simply _adored_ lollies.

_"Especially_ a lollipop." she couldn't help but smile at the child's expression. "But!" She added with faux-seriousness, "Only if you are being good girl und letting me comb your hair!"

"I'll be good, Mama Tenenbaum!" Masha insisted ferverently as she sat back up, straight as a rod. "Promise!"

Doctor Brigid Tenenbaum nearly laughed at that, and not just at the sister's single-minded belief that all would be well if she behaved herself. She laughed at the reason behind it. She laughed at the constant and all he had done to change them; both the little ones and herself.

That constant was Omega.

Supposedly the Big Daddy was out forraging for supplies_-and, as Masha believed, lollipops_-gathering ammunition, food, water, and other, much needed supplies.

Masha and the newly named _Valentine_ were two of Omega's favorite children. In both cases, he'd rescued the girls from splicers, and only _after_ their daddies had fallen. He refused to slay his predecessors. Whether out of guilt or some misbegotten sense of pity she knew not, but it didn't change the fact that they'd made little progress in regards to a cure over the last year. It'd proven difficult_-nearly impossible-to_ bond the ADAM cure to his genetic structure. His DNA had rejected the cure as one would a foreign invader. _Violently._ The first time left the Big Daddy physically ill whenever they attempted the test, and Tenenbaum wasn't willing to submit him for a second or_-heaven forbid-_a third attempt. In other words, it was impossible for Herr Omega to cure the little ones.

_Ach!_ And despite this, they'd formed a little family all their own! There was _Valentine_ his original little sister, the Big Sister who followed him everywhere and now young Masha, the newest addition to their ever-growing group of misfits. Honestly, she had no idea what they were going to do with all these girls. Unless he was willing to inject them with the genetic material of his tenant and burn away the ADAM there was no feasible way to cure the little sisters. But_ that _decision rested with Omega.

"Daddy!" Masha's cry wrenched Brigid out of her reverie with an abrupt suddeness. "Daddy's back!" She'd only just finished tying the bow back into the sister's her hair when the harsh _clump-clump-clump_ of Big Daddy boots reached their ears. There were no Big Daddies in the Atlantic Express. No splicers, either. Omega had certainly seen to that. She half expected Valentine to wake from her nap in the next room over; nearly all the little sisters seemed to have some sort of radar sese that let them know whenever their daddy was near.

Speak of the devil!

Tenenbaum hazarded a glance as the door to the ticket booth swung open, admiting the hulking form of the Big Daddy himself. As always, he stank of blood and gore, reeking from head to toe. As always, Masha simply didn't give two cents whether her father stank or not. With a squeal of unadulterated delight_-the kind only a little girl could give-_she leapt from Tenenbaum's lap, darted across the floor, and wrapped herself around the Big Daddy's leg before either could react.

"Daddy, I missed you!"

The Lancer laughed and bent down to enfold his daughter in a hug. Masha patted a small, dainty hand against his helmet, uncaring that it came away spattered in blood. She wanted the darned thing off. She wanted to see her Daddy's face. Omega complied with a slow nod as he took his hands away fromher and placed them upon the iron mask. The seal yielded with a pressurized hiss, exposing his visage to the world once again. As was often his wont, he was smiling beneath the helmet.

"I missed you too, Masha."

In the last twelve months the Big Daddy had changed little; his once pallid skin had regained some of its former luster if a tad pale. His eyes were brighter now, filled with life, and lacking any sort of reluctance. Having a family had done wonders for his complexion. He smiled down at his adopted sister and she grinned right back up at him. Then her golden eyes turned eager, and she began tugging at the sleeve of his diving suit, like a child begging for sweets, which in essence, she was.

"Did you bring me a lolly, daddy?" she asked softly, planitively.

Naruto arched an eyebrow.

"That depends." He turned an expectant gaze toward Tenenbaum. "Have you been a good girl?"

Masha nodded in a jerky motion, her ponytal bobbing up and down from the sudden action.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. I think I just might have one lollipop for a good little girl." Masha beamed at Naruto's praise, like a child who had been told Christmas had come early. "Could you go and wake your sister for me first, though? Quietly?" Masha nodded, blissfully unaware of the glance her daddy shared with Tenenbaum. Humming to herself, she skipped off towards the adjacent room to search for her younger sister. Valentine always did have the strangest habit of sleeping in the strangest places, she thought to herself. She was such a silly-head!

She caught snatches of conversation as she walked further and further from them, snippets of sighs and exasperation.

Sometimes Daddy and Mama Tenenbaum talked about a cure. A cure for what, Masha wondered? For her? She didn't _feel_ sick. She felt fine! She was happy! Here with Daddy! Doing her best to ignore the thin strand of unease worming its way into her gut, Masha skipped toward the next room, determined to seek out her slumbering sister.

Naruto watched her go with a wistful sigh, and only then did he return his attention to Tenenbaum. For a moment, she burned beneath his gaze. It was as if he were undressing her, with his eyes; memorizing her every curve, categorizing each strand of her lustrous black hair. Brigid Tenenbaum was not old by any means, but neither was she young. She'd aged in ways impossible to imagine since her arrival in Rapture. Commited nigh but countless atrocities, in the name of science. But she was still a woman; however much she might deny it, she still had needs, and when he looked at her like that...

"I don't know how you do it, doc." he said at last.

_Ach!_

"W-What is this you are speaking of?" she sputtered, cheeks burning.

Naruto gestured to the ticket booth.

'This." He gestured, the motion encompassing the room. "All of this. I don't know how, but you seem to get along quite well with my girls."

_"Your_ girls?" The smallest of small coy smiles pulled at her lips as she leaned back in her recliner. "It was not so long ago that you were calling them _mine."_ She felt the sudden need for a cigarette, but she knew better than to smoke in the prescence of the little ones. Mothers had to lead by example, after all. But her lack of self-control didn't surprise her. _The Big Daddy's did._

Amazingly, Omega flushed.

"I...ahem...suppose you might be right about that." But then his eyes flashed with fire and the blush burned itself away. "But they're my girls too, Brigid."

"Well then, I suppose that makes them _our_ girls then. Wouldn't you agree?" Too late, she realized her mistake

She hadn't meant the words like _that,_ but they evoked a reaction all the same.

To his credit, Omega concealed his surprise rather well. His eyes widened only a fraction of an inch before he reigned his emotions in; he was the man of steel once more. And then he smiled. It was the smile of a tiger, ready to pounce. He shambled forward. And then he was gone in a swirl of red mist. Tenenbaum couldn't help herself. She _squeaked_ as he reappeared before her, his eyes looming large before her face, a grin of sheer arrogance adjouring his lips. _Shit._ He'd finally gotten his hands on that teleport plasmid after all.

He said nothing; those brilliant blue orbs drilling into her own, seeking something.

Large palms clamped down around her hands, holding her fast, pinning her to the chair. At yet she felt no fear. He was holding her but he was being careful _so very careful_ careful not to squeeze not to crush. Almost as if he wanted to show her the kind of strength he'd gained. It was like holding the hand of a giant. In that moment, she knew how the little ones felt, how he must feel. To stand in the prescence of this giant was to bask in death itself; to court destruction. How easy it would be for him to kill her, she realized. He had no need of that plethora of weapons. He could easily end her with his bare hands. And then it was done. He leaned back and smiled, amusement flickering through the facade that was that perpetual scowl.

"I suppose so."

"How are you feeling, my friend?" Tenenbaum asked, when she was certain her racing pulse had calmed, when the little sisters couldn't hear her.

At Tenenbaum's question, Naruto couldn't quite keep the grimace from his face.

"It's coming back to me," he sighed, touch a hand to his head. "Bits and pieces."

"Do not be worrying, Herr Omega." she reassured him quietly. "I will not allow you to die in a place like this."

"I certainly hope not." He grinned wyrly. "I'd _hate_ to lose my mind and leave you all alone with the splicers."

"You would not dare!"

Naruto laughed; it was a deep, booming sound, full of mirth.

"Oh, I just might-"

Whatever else Naruto might've said was snatched up the by the sound of the door swinging open. Naruto grabbed for his helmet but he was just a tad too slow; his gloved fingers only _just_ curling around the slick metal when Big Sister walked in, cradling a slumbering little sister in her arms. Naruto guffawed as she stepped into the room. That wasn't Valentine she was holding. Valentine was a brunette with a scar on her left arm. This little sister: her freckled face bore no such scar and her frizzy hair, though bound back in a bow like the others, had a succint reddish tint to it.

"Papa." She began, presenting him with the sightly shell-shocked sister. "This is Evelyn. She wants a for-real daddy, too."

"Ach!" Tenenbaum cried, lunging to her feet at the sight of the Little Sister. "What have you done!"

"Rescued." Big Sister stated simply, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "For papa."

_Papa's_ reaction was more subdued, but no less vehement.

"Did you kill her daddy?" Naruto inquired softly.

Big Sister's eyes went wide with terror.

"Nu-uh!" She shook her head rapidly, as though the very _thought_ left her fearful. "I _rescued_ Evelyn, papa! Promise!"

_Evelyn, huh?_ He thought to himself. _That's an Irish name..._

Naruto glanced down at the sister, not knowing what to expect as he gazed upon this child in the pale green dress. He wasn't wearing his helmet. Valentine and Masha had learned to live without the sight of _it-prefering the lack thereof-_but this one might be different than the others. Or not. The moment she laid eyes on her knight in rusting armor, the Little Sister's whimpers of fear became giggles and shouts of joy.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed, all but _leaping_ from Big Sister's arms to run up and hug his leg, the only part of him she could reach. Tenenbaum laughed at the unexpected act. Naruto glared bloody red daggers at her but he held no venom in his stare. He smiled, and just like that, he was the Big Daddy again. Sighing, Omega heaved the child up onto his shoulder and took a seat on the couch. Eveyln squealed in delight and promptly fell to his lap, where she sat contentedly.

"I knew Daddy didn't leave me." she beamed up at him.

"Of course I didn't." He hushed her, knowing she saw him in the same light as her former father.

Omega couldn't help but marvel at how quickly he became attached to these little girls. Perhaps it had something to do with the Big Daddy condition. Or perhaps, _perhaps_ he simply loved them as his own because none were willing to? Because no one else could. Regardless, he found he wasn't willing to part with his new charge. Shaking his head, he cast a glance in the direction of Valentine's room. He was certain he'd heard whispers coming from there not a moment ago...

"Valentine! Masha!" He called loudly. "You can come out now! I know you're there!"

Two pairs of golden eyes peeked around the corner, one bleary with sleep, the other wide with scrutiny. Valentine, in her rumpled red dress, Masha, still wearing her dirty white attire.

"Who's that, Daddy?" Valentine, being the eldest of his sisters, was the first to ask.

_Ah, so they were listening._

"This is Evelyn." He indicated the little redhead in his lap. "She's part of our family now. Understand?"

Evelyn waved meekly.

"llo...

At the word 'family' Valentine's confusion vanished.

"She's part of our family?"

Naruto nodded.

"Does _she_ get a lollipop?" Masha asked, scrutinizing the redhead intensely.

Naruto's response was to silently open one of the many pockets located in his diving suit.

He hadn't been looking for lollipops, not really. But by some stroke of luck, that last vending machine he'd passed just happened to be selling some. He'd bought the last three, one for Valentine, another for Masha, and of course, one for himself. Now, he reached into the waterproof pocket, handing it to Evelyn without a word. Golden eyes gazed up at him in adoration; apparently she too, shared Masha's fascination with lollipops. She grinned as he handed her the candy, reaching a grimy hand up to pat his whiskered cheek.

"Daddy's the bestest!" she giggled, promptly sucking on the lollipop with reckless abandon.

_"Daddyyyyy,"_ Masha whined, folding her arms petulantly at the sight of her favorite treat. "What about me?" Valentine was less outspoken on the subject, but he could clearly see the want in her eyes. For a moment he really did feel like a father, as they stared at him like that. And then it was over.

"Now, how could I forget about my girls?"

Dipping another hand into another pocket, his hand emerged with the remaining pair of lollipops, one for Masha, the other for Valentine. Both girls let out a squeal of anticipation as he handed them their candy, all their woes forgotten at the sight of their precious treats. It wasn't long before they rejoined Evelyn in his lap, the three girls taking up the length of his left leg. Big Sister chirruped happily and took her customary place at his side as well, laying her head to rest against his shoulder.

"Papa's the best." She echoed the words of her younger sibling, cooing softly as she nuzzled her cheek into his neck. Omega cast a furtive glance toward Tenenbaum. The scientist shrugged helplessly, but couldn't quite keep the smile from her face. Naruto suppressed the urge to growl, to wrap his hands around her throat. Even a year later, the Big Sister's memories had yet to return. While he was grateful for this, he still had no idea who she really was; nor what connection they might've shared. Just who was she?

**"Stop worrying about that and be be grateful, would ya?"** Kyuubi quipped. **"You finally have a family of your own. Though I still think you should _harvest_ the lot of them and go on aaa_aaaaargh!"_**

Naruto couldn't help but groan at that, even as he doused his tenant with a silent surge of ADAM.

He was suddenly_**-painfully-**_remined of the challenge he'd issued to Ryan. If the man hadn't been gunning for him before, well, he was now. But he'd no other choice. He'd bee screwed out of that choice the moment he found Masha in Pauper's Drop; the moment he realized he'd been caught on film. The war was on in full now. He had a bone to pick with Ryan solely because the man was an absolute idiot; Rapture was burning around him, driving itself into the ground _and he couldn't care less._

He didn't care if the safety of the little sisters was at stake. Didn't care that these three had been orphaned already. If not for him, they'd certainly be dead, and all because of that man. That fool's dreams, of a free city on the bottom of a ocean was sensible only for a child. His sophomoric pride had ripped the city apart and destroyed any chance of Rapture's success. His pride had torn these girls from their families flung them into his arms, all in the same motion. And now he wanted to come after the one person who wanted to restore this city to its former glory. The sole individual who might be able to do something about this damned mess and as luck would have it, Ryan would rather see him dead_-see Rapture burn!-_then allow such a reckoning to pass.

For that, he was going to die.

_Slowly._

He'd sworn to hunt down Lamb for an entirely different reason. Both in avenging Delta and honouring his little sister, Eleanor. That, and Sofia Lamb just pissed him the hell off. He'd witnessed first-hand her brutality. In that, she was worse than Ryan. Murdering men in cold blood. Turning little sisters into those...those...things! She preached of 'family' and yet she knew nothing of the sort! Twisting and perverting little girls _warping_ a innocent mind until all it knew was unthinking, unfeeling rage! He cast a swift glance back at the Big Sister, felt his hearstrings lurch as she yawned and closed her eyes, content to fall asleep against his chest.

"Sleepy time is here...

_Damn you, Lamb!_

Sofia Lamb did not deserve death_-oh, she deserved much, MUCH worse-_but he was going to grant her one all the same. After a few day of torture, perhaps. It was already too late for Delta and though it might certainly be the same for his little sister, he could at least end the woman who'd brought about their suffering. Naruto felt he owed his predcessor that much, at the very least.

And then there was this Atlas character. He seemed a decent sort, but Naruto didn't trust him, and neither did Omega. Anyone that chipper had to be hiding something. No. He could not trust Atlas. Tenenbaum was his only ally here; these girls, his only family. Everyone else_-excluding the little sisters themselves-_was an enemy, to be dealt with as he saw fit. And as for the Big Sisters themselves, well...he'd figure something out soon, so longer as Lamb didn't get the idea to sick 'em on his happy little family.

"So are you girls enjoying your lollipops?"

Naruto couldn't help but sigh as a trio of yawns and bleary little eyes answered his question.

_I'm getting too old for this shit..._

* * *

_(Elsewhere)_

Senselessness surrounded her.

Between the pain and the burning, she couldn't make sense of anything. Anything at all.

At least, her captor's believes this.

She was strapped to an operating table, her body hyped up on so many different drugs she couldn't tell up from down. The room swam in and out of focus on a tide of agony, a horrendous blur threatening to capsize at the slightest provocation. They were strapping her into what looked a diving suit_-the fuck?-_designed for a girl _half_ her age. Amber eyes flashed with impotent fury as they shackled the pieces to her arms and legs, slowy eating away at her humanity, piece by unbearable piece. First they'd put that...that...thing inside her stomach. Then they'd injected her with enough drugs to dope up an elephant. Then, _then_ they started putting that s

Someone slapped her head to the side, dislocating her jaw. Violet hair splayed across her face, momentarily sheltering her from the bright light. But only for a moment. A greasy, postule hand pushed the purple tresses away from her eyes, exposing them to the harsh spotlight once more. She struggled to scream, but all that emerged was a hoarse gasp. They were fitting what looked like a long needle to her right arm now, welding it in place over her hand. How the hell was this happening?

She'd discovered the lightouse by chance-even now, years later, they were still searching for him, for the cause of his sudden dissapearance. Out of idle curiousity she'd entered the lighthouse, not bothering to send the word back that she might have found something. What could possibly happen way out here, in the middle of nowhere? She'd told herself this in her curiousity, ignoring her instinct to flee. She'd entered, but hadn't been able to comprehend the strange, eerie statue and banner that greeted her upon entry.

_No Gods or Kings._ The banner had read, hung beneath the imposing bust of a gentelman in a pleated suit. _Only man._

What kind of nutcase wrote something like that? Did the man think himself a virtuoso or something?

Scoffing, she'd descended the staircase; descended into darkness.

That was when that gangly limbed _freak_ in the diving suit appeared out of nowhere. It jumped her, shrieking like a banshee, pummeling her into oblivion before she could mount a counterattack. She'd awoken here, the lights bright and her clothes gone. No longer garbed in fishnet and trenchcoat, but a white hospital gown. She'd been defiant, at first. Screamed and spat and swore; shrieking that somene would find her, that they, had no business, no chance, of breaking her.

That had been days_-months?-_ago. Now she was weak, her features gaunt, her body thin and emaciate. Whatever food they'd force-fed her sapped her willpower, but before long she hadn't been able to resist the pangs of hunger. And so she'd given in, succumed to weakness. The disfigured man thrust a finger at the screen, as though she watch. As though she should listen. She twisted her head away from the screen but those hands patiently forced her back to the waiting screen, broadcasting an image of:

_PLEASE STAND BY_

The face of an unknown woman flicked on. The woman looked to be middle aged, with bright blond hair and horn-rim glasses. She had a kind and welcoming smile-an expression that was at odds with her shifty eyes an harsh facial features. With the way her hair was arranged, she couldn't help but associate her with a ferret- someone who _appeared_ to be nice and fuzzy but was really vermin.

"Greetings, my dear." The lady said- no, purred. It was almost as if she was singing each word. "No doubt you are afraid right now. For this I must apologize-change can be painful. Understand that this is for the best in the end. Understand that, while I mean you no harm, this change is indeed neccessary. But fear not. You will have a new family now, a better family now- the Rapture family!"

_I am not 'your' dear._ The purple-haired woman hissed with the last of her willpower. _My name is_ _Mitarashi Anko! And I am not part of your crackpot family!_

An image replaced the blond-haired bitch: reflecting the likeness of a man in a metal diving suit. He was an imposing titan, like a barnacle-covered knight in shining armor. The slim visor of his porthole seemed to stare back at her in silent contempt, damning her for her sins. Anko gazed upon the man and she shuddered. Even after all she'd experienced, all the battles she'd fought this man put the fear of god in her-the fear of death.

"This man is a threat to the family." The woman's voice explained. "His name is Subject Omega. You will kill him." A pause. "Do you understand? You will kill Subject Omega."

"Fuck...you...!" Anko rasped.

The reward for her derfiance came in the form of a sharp, electrical jolt. Anko's every synapse screamed as fat sparks coursed through her body, leaving her in raw agony back arching, body spasming. _Make it stop_! Her mouth opened in a silent scream. _Make it stop! Please, just make it stop!_ She slumped against the operating table, powerless to resist as the man reapproached her, helmet in hand. Anko tried to wriggle away from him tried to fight him as he reverently uttered a holy prayer; as though in placing the helmet around her head, that by lowering that facade of dirty steel, he were perpetuating the will of god himself

"This man is a threat to the family. Your family." The woman's voice repeated, her words only slightly dulled by the helmet's voice receptors. "His name is Subject Omega. He is a beast apart; a soulless creature with no soul to speak of. As part of the family, it is your duty to rip out its jaw and send it howling back into the sear." There was no pause to be had, not this time. "You _must_ kill Subject Omega."

Anko opened her mouth to refute the words, felt the tingle in her bones for a second time. She wanted to rail against it, to fight, but the drugs made her weak. They weakened her will, made her want to curl up into the nearby corner and weep, bawl her eyes out. She felt like a little girl again, powerless to do anything other than cry. Her drug-addled body was no longer her own. She felt it nodding of its own accord, egar to escape the pain, already hungering for its next fix. When she nodded, an indescripable feeling of pleasure etched its way into every cell of her body. _Acceptance is good,_ it seemed to say. _Denial is pain._

She nodded again, desperate to escape the pain.

_Kill Subject Omega._

* * *

**A/N: Alright, I lied! Jack shows up NEXT chapter, a few months after this scene! The mystery of the Big Sister deepens! Is she really from the surface or was that memory she had merely from the surge of ADAM given to her by the little sister? If you wonder who Masha is by the way, she's from the Bioschok novel: Rapture. I think we all needed some closure as to the uncertainy of her fate. Besides, have you SEEN her picture? She's just so damned cute! I came with a name for Naruto's sister, as you can see. I figured Valentine ought to fit the bill, so that's the name I gave her.**

**Aaaaaand someone from the surface finally discovers rapture! Poor Anko, one can only imagine how nasty she'll be as a Big Sister...unless Naruto manages to tame her. Now THAT is going to be a FUN fight scene to write...Look forward to it, people!**

**R&R! =D**


	5. You Don't Mess With The Family

**A/N: Just got done playing Bioshock one and two AND just finished the bioshock infinite demo. Not quite sure what to make of it though, seeing as it takes place entirely in the SKY and very much out of Rapture itself. Meh, whatcha gonna do? This is my LAST new story for awhile. In other words, decided not to move. That's right! I'm staying here! And for a final note, the little sisters in this fic take the appearance of those darling little ones from the SECOND Bioshock game, not the first, but relatively little else is changed. Just wanted to put that out there for those who might be curious or wondering.**

**Now, would you kind enjoy this chapter?**

_"Oh bloody hell! Who's this blighter?"_

_~Atlas._

**You Don't Mess With The Family**

Omega wasn't quite sure when he had drifted to sleep, but footsteps upon the station roused him. He spared a quick glance down at the trio of girls resting on his lap. Valentine lay sprawled across his knees, her arms tucked around his wrist. Masha sucked on her thumb but otherwise remained very much in dreamland. Evelyn snored softly her body tucked into a ball against his waist, perfectly content with her new daddy. He ran a heavy hand across each of their little heads as gently as he could, silently yearning for the feeling to return to his legs.

It was not to be.

He abruptly felt a tug on one of his gauntleted hands. Looking over, he found himself staring down at one of the sister's he'd saved, more specifically, the _Big _Sister whose name he'd yet to suss out. Like the other girls she too lay deep in slumber, a slight smile on her lips; nothing made a Sister, Big or Little, feel more safe and content than a vigilant Big Daddy. But that was where the similarities ended. She clung tightly to him, both hands wrapped firmly around his chest and hand, as if he were a liferaft in the storm-tossed sea and to release him meant death.

Looking at her now, she certainly didn't _look_ like one of the lithe metal wraiths roaming Rapture's halls.

The old torn rags of her suit were replaced with a clean dress_-no doubt from the collection of old clothing Tenenbaum had brought with her-_and her hair had been properly combed out. It fell around her face in a curtain of lustruous shadow; the ebony yet not quite black locks contrasting gently with her pale skin, shimmering in the dim light of the ticket booth. Even as he looked on she pushed up against him nuzzling an ashen colored cheek into his own, a bleary smile wreathing her pale features.

"I love you, daddy." she mumbled suddenly, eyes never opening, not a once.

The words struck Omega like an electro bolt; he was suddenly overcome with pain and longing.

_Just who are you?_ He wondered anew. The question had been plaguing him for the last twelve months. Simply returning her to Lamb was not an option. The pyschiatrist had wrought such torment upon the girl's psyche that the Big Sister hadn't been able to sleep when they'd first met. She'd simply sat there for the longest time, staring. She'd followed him everywhere, too. Nearly killed Tenenbaum_-twice!-_when the latter attempted to find a cure for her condition. Without the constant prescence of her "papa" to soothe her spirit, she was a hurricane, violent, destructive, and unpredictable. Ironically, it was only after the arrival of _Masha_ that the sister was able to remain in the eye of the storm; to stay calm in Omega's abscence, to become strong enough to muster up the courage to venture out on her own.

Her sleep was still fraught with nightmares however; on more than one occasion she'd woken in the middle of the night, eyes blazing red, wailing for her precious protector. Given long enough, her wails would morph in to bloodcurdling screams. Only the combined prescence of Omega _and_ the little sisters could calm her from these night terrors; anyone else fool enough to approach swiftly learned to stay away when she was in such a sorry state.

Now, however, she slept like a babe.

"Daddyyyyyy," As if sensing his silence the Big Sister _whined,_ pawing at him in her sleep.

Resigning himself to ignorance, he reached out and patted the sister's head with a tremulous hand. She purred, and cuddled closer to here papa, utterly content. Looking down at her, Naruto couldn't help but sigh out a reply of his own. He pressed his lips to her forehead and spoke softly:

"I...um...love you too."

And it was true.

He cared for her, just as he cared for the three girls slumbering in his lap. He would fight for her, die for her_-though he prayed it never came to that-_if the need ever arose. He was strong, yes, but by no means was he omnipotent. His girls saw him as a knight in shining _armor_ an unstoppable titan whom no monster could best. They thought him invincible, indestructible. They thought no one could harm their daddy. They were wrong oh, so very wrong. Because he was all too mortal. He could be wounded, even killed.

And nothing reminded him of that like the girl wrapped around his arms.

His words having quieted her, the Big Sister chirruped happily in her sleep and hugged him tighter. Knowing better than to disentangle himself from a clingy Big Sister, Omega leaned back onto the couch with a grunt of exasperation. He was going to be here for awhile.

And then his attention was drawn elsewhere.

Tenenbaum entered the room, standing in the doorway as the skirts of her dress flapped about her legs like some forlorn flag. With as much poise and grace as could be mustered in her current state, she took a seat across from Omega, hands folded upon her lap. Her weary eyes were warm and kind, but tempered with sorrow and loss. Her gaze momentarily rested upon the slumbering sisters before travelling up, to the porthole of Omega's suit. Rather, where it had once been.

"Herr Omega," she started, voice solemn, "We have a problem."

The hollow man managed an annoyed grunt and gestured at the gaggle of girls in his lap.

"So do I, doc."

She paused, sighing.

"You are not going to like this, I am afraid."

Naruto rubbed the fingers of his left hand together in anticipation, summoning the Scout plasmid. He'd have a look for himsef.

"No." The woman's face darkened. "You will be wanting to see this for yourself."

Naruto frowned, hazarded a glance at the clock. Seven A.M. That had been nearly nine hours ago. Where had she gone? He saw the pistol, clutched white-knuckled in her hand, and frowned. hand

"Where have you been?" he asked, suddenly accusing.

Tenenbaum glanced aside.

"I will stay with the girls." she reassured him. "But you must go."

"Tenenbaum." he demanded, pushing himself upright. "What have you done?"

She refused to meet his gaze.

"You must be seeing this for yourself."

* * *

_(Hours later)_

Naruto couldn't help but gawp at the charred corpse of the bouncer.

The Big Daddy was riddled with holes, perforated by shotgun shells, and horribly _roasted_ from the inside out. Hornets still swarmed across its baked, bullet-ridden flesh, bouncin harmlessly off the tin man's metal armor as he looked on. It all seemed so surreal. Bright red blood_-or rosies, as the sisters saw them-_lay spilled at the bouncer's feet, alongside the tattered remains of a pink bow. Naruto's heart lurched into his chest. Kneeling he reached down for it, scooping up the blood-soaked bow in his hand.

_Where was the little sister?_

Dread struck him like a frozen fist in the stomach. He glanced around the parlor, ignoring the solitary corpse of a splicer nearby. The leadhead was armed only with a small pistol. He couldn't possibly have been the one to do in the Daddy. Scanning his surroundings for any sign of life; a whimper, a sob, anything. Anything at all.

A few feet away from the bouncer, he found the body.

_No._

He rushed forward, nearly tripping over his own two feet in his haste to get to her. He saw; the little sister saw the sad state of her stomach but even then he dared to hope. Fingers trembling, he pushed a gloved hand against her neck, furtively fumbling for a pulse. He found none. He could see the blood trail, see where she'd scrambled backward, scrabbling on her hands and knees in an attempt to escape her attacker. She had been so terrified, so afraid. And he hadn't been there.

_No._

He reached down for her, cradling her broken, bloody body in his arms as though expecting those golden eyes to flutter open at any moment. Feebly, he pushed his tenant's energy into the child's body, uncaring for the consequences; for whatever might happen. Just so long as she kept breathing. She had to live. She must live. She would live. He chanted it to himself softly, unable to refusing to believe that an innocent little girl could have died because of his negligence.

**"Stop wasting my energy on that corpse."** the fox growled inside his head.

"I'm not wasting it!" Naruto snapped back as he urged the wound shut. "I'm saving her!"

**"How?"** Came the sardonic snarl. **"By pushing blood through a heart that has ceased to beat?"**

"I'm not-

**"She's dead!"**

Naruto's mind shut down.

He was right.

The little one was gone.

_And I'll make him pay._

A tiny voice in Omega's head reminded him of his promise to Tenenbaum, but he roared at it and it retreated into a corner, cowering. When the scientist had told him to help the little ones, she'd made absoluely little to no mention of what methods-of what he could and could not do. Rage filled him again, crimson clouds blurring and warping his vision until the room seemed at the bottom of a storm red sea; which in reality it was. Not red, but cold, implacable fury nonetheless.

He stood woodenly, not taking enough care. His eyes caught a flicker of movement in the dark. The sound of footsteps, hurtling away into the gloom. The Big Daddy's helmet flared an eerie red as he rose to his feet, an evil gleam in his eyes as he stalked after his prey. So, the culprit decided to stick around, eh? So be it. The fool had _dared_ to lay a hand on one of his little sisters. His little ones! There would be no forgiveness for this. No mercy. He was going to die.

_Slowly._

* * *

Jack had never been so terrified in all of his life.

Behind him the boots of the pursuing Daddy rose in a wild thunder that made Jack sweat a blue streak. What the hell was wrong this Big Daddy! He didn't even have a little sister with him! The massive metal monsters usually left well enough alone unless provoked but this one simply attacked him on sight, bellowing its fury. Time for a change of tactics. Before his pursuer could slow enough to bring his weapon to bear, the man spun around and came to a halt; extending his arm, thrusting his fingers forward crooked in a claw. Big, fat sparks splayed from his fingertips, crackling across his palm in defiance of his pursuer.

"Run, boyo!" Atlas's voice crackled across his headset. "If that Daddy catches you, you're a goner!"

_No kidding!_

Was it because of what he'd done to that sister? The one that doctor lady had urged him to save? But he hadn't saved her, had he? No. He'd killed her. Ripped the slug right out of her stomach and taken all that ADAM for hmself! Naturally, Atas wanted him to run. To save what little of his pride he could, and flee. But there was a crucial flaw in Atlas's strategy.

Jack was tired of running. He felt the ADAM, coursing through his veins, burning white hot in his hands. In that moment he felt invicible. Like he could take on a whole army of Big Daddie's on and come out on top. That was his thought as lightning coursed from his palm, colliding with the Big Daddy. It kept coming, sparks skittering harmlessly off the rubberized fabric of its suit. Recognizing the futility of his efforts Jack banished ADAM from his hand and reached for his favorite weapon of choice; an old Tommy Gun.

"Bloody hell...

But before he could fire, the Daddy raised a hand, fingers coated with a thin layer frost. Jack had only an instant to recognize the plasmid before the floor turned to ice beneath his feet; before he was sent hurtling forth and forward. And then the Daddy was on him again, bodyslamming him like a pro wrestler. Jack fell to the street, the breath knocked out of him, the Daddy's massive bulk crushing him against pavement. _So that's that huh?_ he coughed up a bloody wad of phlegm as his attacker loomed over him, hefting some kind of homemade laser in had. _This is how its going to end..._

He could almost _feel_ the Daddy's fury behind the slim helmet.

"What have you done!" It roared, eyes blazing red behind the helmet. **"WHAT. HAVE. YOU. DONE!"**

Before Jack could reply, before he could balk at the fact that the Big Daddy _was talking to him,_ it let loose a sound that no Daddy should be able to make. An unholy howl of rage and malevolence. Quaking with fury, a sound so animal, so primal, so unnaturally loud blasted forth from him, a roar of rage that echoed through the ruins, reverberating off metal walls and tiled floor before reaching the ears of the remaining Splicers in the building. Terror accompanied the bellow as it struck them, but the hunger for ADAM and the twisted sadistic urges of their madness overcame it as the mutants rushed towards the source.

Omega wasn't listening.

"You killed her!" The Big Daddy accused, slitted scarlet pinnioning Jack Rwith a gaze. "You harvested her!"

"I didn't have a choice!" He was cursing himself even as he spoke those words.

"Didn't have a choice?" The Daddy hissed. "Didn't have a choice?" Jack cried out as a metal hand latched down upon his throat; an iron vice driving him to the floor. **"SHE DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE!" **The tin man'scry thundered through the floor. "You never gave her one! And you think you can get away with it! You think I'll just let you walk away Think again!" The Big took one last look at the man, eyes narrowing. Then he brought the drill down. _Hard._ Jack squeezed his eyes shut, bracing his body preparing himself for the end.

_"Daddy, don't!"_

The drill rammed into the floor, mere millimeters from the man's face. Jack quite nearly pissed himself at the sight of it. With a titanic effort, the Big Daddy wrenched his gaze aside. A little sister stared back at him. But there was something wrong with this little sister, he realized. In place of the gentle amber, sinister red eyes gazed back at him adoringly. Her bloodied dress was ripped open, exposing pale flesh beneath. Pale, flawless skin, utterly untouched by the ravages of time. There was no wound, he realized. Nor was her skin that ugly ashen grey.

She was human. Save for those eyes, those ruby red eyes, she was utterly normal. Naruto guffawed.

"You...

The little sister chirruped happily.

"Please, don't kill him, daddy." She pleased. "I'm sure hedidn't mean to hurt me. R-Really!" But there was no mistaking the tremor in her voice; nor her refusal to even approach Jack. The Big Daddy twitched and gave a great, heaving sigh. Then lightning flew forth from his fingers tips, an electro bolt streaking straight and true into the man's chest. Deafening him. Paralyzing him.

Jack's last sight was that of that massive fist screaming toward the side of his head, then...

...blackness.

* * *

**A/N: Bad Jack! Bad! How DARE he harvest that little sister! Will he do it again? Will Naruto let him off easy? Or is this the end of Jack, and Fontaine's plan to ursurp Andrew Ryan? And now we see the true effects of Kyuubi's lifeforce when used on a little sister. Sorry to fool you all into thinking that she died! Sorry if this chappy was short, but now...JACK IS IN RAPTURE! We;ll see a bit of Anko next chapter, too! So...**

**Rewiew...would you kindly?**

**R&R! =D**


	6. Daddy is Always Watching REPOSTED

**A/N: BREAKING NEWS! On the opening night of The Dark Knight Rises there was a shooting in a Colorado movie theater when a man in a gash mask and a kevla vest stormed theater nine through the emergency exit and began shooting people at random. Twelve people were killed and fifty injured. Thankfully, they caught the son of a bitch before he offed himself. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families affected by this horrific tragedy and I hope in the dearest depths of my heart that the one responsible for this massacre never sees the light of day again. EVER.**

**To any of you readers from the Colorado region, I offer you my most sincere of condolences. Always cherish your loved ones. You never know when you may lose them.**

**Also, to FuckingTypo: Really mate? This is FICTION. Reality is meant to be broken. Just let it be and enjoy the story. You don't like it? Drop it. Everyone else seems quite happy with the events of this fic so far. N****ow, would you kindly enjoy this chapter?**

_"Would ya kindly get stepped on by a Big Daddy?"_

_~Frank Fontaine._

**Daddy Is Always Watching**

Jack Ryan woke to find himself tied to a chair.

Shackled, really.

His arms and legs were bound with barbed wire_-a tad excessive in his opinion_-his wrists and ankles cuffled together by heavy iron manacles. Shaking his head to clear the black spots from his vision, the man hazarded a glance at his surroundings. His prison. The furnishings were spartan, those of a man who did not desire furnishing or luxury only the most basic of essentials. But all trace of masculinity were subsuquently obliterated by a series of drawings lining the walls: a child had scribbled upon the wallpaper in big, bold black crayon:

_DADDY'S ALWAYS WATCHING._

Jack shuddered.

Suddenly, he was cast back to the memory of that little sister he'd harvested. Of the voices of Atlas and Tenebaum, of right and wrong, warring within his head.

"Remember." Had been Tenenbaum's dire warning as he approached the terrified child, "Daddy is alway watching. If you harm the little ones, he will know of it." And despite his better judgement Jack had chosen to set her words aside, to listen to those of his faithful guide. gone and done just that.

_"Listen to me boyo. You won't survive without the ADAM those little things are carrying! Are you prepared to trade your life, the lives of my wife and child, for Tenenbaum's frankenstein?"_ He'd seen the reason in Atlas's words, despite the plasmid Tenenbaum had given him. _"Now would ya kindly rip that slug outta her stomach and be done wit it?" _He could have saved the little sister. Instead, he'd torn open her stomach and...and..._oh god!_

Quelling the rising nausea in his stomach, casting his glance away from the children's toys lining the floor, Jack stole a glance at a nearby table. His radio lay there, crackling with static, just out of reach.

"Atlas?" He half-whispered, half-croaked, praying for a response from his unseen ally. There was none. Either the irishman was out of range_-unlikely-_or the radio itsel had been switched off. No one would be coming for him. It was at that very moment, Jack caught sight of himself in the window's reflection. Ugly, purplish bruises lined nearly half of his face, leading up to a swollen right eye that doubtlessly wouldn't be healing anytime soon. He craned his head to one side, groaning as he saw the extent of the damage. His nose was broken the like of which he'd never seen, the cartilege twisted in _three_ separate places alone.

His entire body ached.

But why hadn't that Daddy killed him? And th-the little sister...

The soft pitter-patter feet swiftly reminded him that he was not alone in the ticket booth.

"Who's there?"

The sharp tug on his sleeve was the answer. Growling, he glared down at the offender...

_...and turned white a a sheet._

"Dear lord!" Jack yelped at the sight, and would have toppled backwad, had the chair not been bolted to the floor.

A little sister peered up at him nervously. Stared at him, with wide eyes, mouth open in a round O. Jack nearly lost his lunch. This was the same little sister from before. The very same child that spared his life. He half expected a Big Daddy to step out of the shadows, drill roaring, ready to end his life. When no such Daddy appeared, Jack regarded the girl with renewed scrutiny. The girl's stark black hair was but unmistakable. A small yet mournful smile graced her features. Her old torn rags had been replaced with a clean dress, from where, he knew not, and her hair had been properly combed out.

Indeed, those raven locks stood in sharp contrast to the other sisters, as did those eerie red eyes. Those eyes...they didn't belong on a little girl. Lacking the pale grey skin of the other sisters, she was clearly a world apart from the rest, even without them, but the man found his attention inexplicably drawn to those round orbs of sinister scarlet.

"You...You didn't _mean_ to hurt me, right mister?" She asked. "R-Right?" The way she was looking at him...it made him remember. _Everything._ Her screams of agony as he tore open her stomach, ripped the ADAM slug out of her intestines, casting her down to the floor, ignoring her pained whimpers, leaving her there to die...

Jack swallowed the lump in his throat. Jay-sus, what had he been thinking? These children weren't monsters. They were little girls. Little girls with a VERY protective papa, as the throbbing in his jaw reminded him. That he had tried to harvest one of them_-kill one of them!-_was unforgiveable. _Never should've listened to Atlas_ the increasingly large part of his heart reminded him. Stupid! Stupd blighter! Who was to say he couldn't save a little sister instead of harvesting.

"I...I'm sorry."

She gazed up at him, starry eyed and mournful.

"Kay." she nodded gravely. "But, mister-

"Alma!" A woman's voice chastised from across the hall. "What is this you are doing? Get away from him!"

The little girl squeaked and rushed back behind the protection of the wall. A woman rounded the corner shortly thereafter, her skirts flaring in an unseen wind summoned by her abrupt arrival. Long, lustrous black hair, -normally bound back into a tight bun-hung loose around her shoulders, framing a face from which fire and fury shone. Even with her bedraggled appearance, her thick german accent betrayed her. Jack jerked upright in his chair, glaring bloody red daggers at her, at his captor.

Jack recognized her immediately.

_"You!"_

"I warned you, did I not?" Tenenbaum glowered. "Daddy is always watching. I told you this, yes?" The woman's face darkened. "But you did not listen to me you stupid, greedy little man. You tried to harvest one of my little ones! You very nearly succeeded! Were it not for Herr Omega, she would be dead and you would be gone, hunting the rest of the little sisters!"

"Herr...who?"

Tenenbaum's sorrowful gaze spoke volumes.

"Ah, yes." She smiled. "You do not know."

_**"But you're about to."**_

Jack yelped as the strong current raced through his veins; the electro bolt had struck him from a distance this time, but it stung no less. Earth-shaking footsteps plodded across the room revealing the menacing form of a Big Daddy, the very same Daddy that nearly took his life. The Lancer was even more intimidating up close, its small slot of a porthole gleaming a dull amber as it leered down at him. And then it did the inexplicable: it reached up to its helmet and removed it; the pressurized hiss echoing across the room.

Revealed was not the visage of a monster, but a man.

Blye eyes the color of winter skies bored into him. A smile like flint stretched across those whiskered cheeks.

"You're awake." He mused, lowering a crackling hand. "Good. That makes things easier."

Jack said nothing. He could not. He dare not. To speak was tantamount to disaster.

"Now, what to do with you?" Omega wondered aloud. "On one hand, you nearly _killed_ one of my little sisters." His words dripped with venom. "You ripped that slug out of Alma's stomach without a second thought. Took her apart and cast her aside, without much as a backward glance." And then his words turned hollow. "On the other, you've shown me that it is possible to save them with my own power, without killing them. Whatever should I do with you, my friend?" Jack very much doubted that this man considered him a friend even _moreso_ when the Daddy drew a shotgun on him, pressing the rusted barrel against his head. "Should I kill you here and now or let you live?" His gaze strayed into the shadows as he spoke, as if he were seeking something.

"What do you think, Alma?" he asked. "Should I kill this man? The man who hurt _you?"_ he couldn't help but notice the emphasis the daddy put on the last word, even as the former little sister stepped around the corner and into view. _Shit._ She'd been listening all along, hadn't she? Whatever naivete she might've felt was surely washed away by now, by her father's words. Sheapproached them slowly, bare feet, padding silently against the carpeted floor. She slowed a few from Jack, her hand straying nervously to Tenenbaum's wrist.

"Should I kill him, Alma?" Omega asked again. Jack could see it in his eyes. He was going to kill him, regardless of what the sister said.

The girl shook her head in a jerky bob, her hair whipping back and forth from the motion. Jack guffawed. She wanted him to live. After all he'd done to her, she wanted him to live. He wasn't worthy of her kindness. Her generosity. Her mercy. It was almost enough to bring the grown man to tears despite his earlier reservations. He stole a glance back at his captor watched as Omega's back grew taut with silent indignation. Fury folded in his eyes, yielded to resignation. He lowered the shotgun, folding down its wooden stock and setting it aside for later use.

At length, Omega sighed.

"Alma seems to have taken an interest in you." He said at length. "For that, I'll let you live. _However,_ if you so much as lay a finger on any of the little ones without my express permission well, you'll wish I'd ended you with that drill back in the resorts." He ended his threat with a small spark and Jack held no doubt that this man would indeed end him in an instant if he harmed so much as a hair on their little heads.

"And remember, Jack."

The man swallowed nervously.

"Daddy is always watching."

"Oh, not again-

And then Omega's fist drove him back under.

* * *

"Why did you not tell him who he was?" Tenenbaum asked when they were certain the man was out cold.

Naruto rolled his shoulders in an easy shrug.

"There was no need." he said.

"There was very much a need!" Tenenbaum reprimanded him, her words slipping back into an accent. "We have undone the: _would you kindly_ conditioning but you see this is meaning nothing! There are countless other phrases someone could be using to be controlling him! He-

Omega raised a hand, forestalling another arguement.

"Fontaine's dead." He reminded her. "You said so yourself. Who else could possibly know how to control him?" Tenenbaum opened her mouth to reply. Snapped it back shut. The only ones who knew of Jack's 'condition' were herself, Fontaine, and doctor Suchong. The latter lay dead in his office, and the former, well no one had anything to fear from him any longer. Reluctantly she aqueisced. Naruto smiled. Tenenbaum certainly didn't look happy, but then again, when was she ever happy with him?

"But there is still problem." she answered, adamant.

The Big Daddy groaned.

"C'mon doc...

"Nein! It is the matter of the little one...Alma Wade."

Naruto glanced down at her skirts, suddenly aware of his newest little sister peeking around them in her red dress. At him.

_Crap._ he mouthed.

"Alma, is there something you are wanting to say?" Tenenbaum prodded.

Alma nodded shyly.

A meek, tentative "Thank you . . . Daddy," escaped her lips before she rushed back behind the protection of Tenenbaum's skirts.

Naruto sighed and stooped to one knee, bringing down to eye level for his newest daughter. Red eyes or no, she was still a little sister. His sister. Granted, she lacked the compulsion for ADAM and her skin was a softer shade than the others, but he loved her no less. She was like a daughter to him. They all were. But the others did not have the supernatural power of that _thing_ coursing through their veins. They did not have plasmids as this one did; because they did not share his genetic material, as he'd shared it with her to preserve her life. Already she'd displayed a tentative grasp of the telikenisis plasmid. Given time to master the others, whom knew what she might accomplish? What she might achieve...

**"She's the closest thing we have to a daugter."** Was that a hint of pride in the fox's tone, just now? **"Your blood and my power flows through her veins. Che, I wouldn't be surprised if she started calling you 'daddy' like the rest...**

_'Don't remind me.'_

**"Still...**

_'If you tell me to harvest her-_

**"Bah!"** The kitsune snorted. **"I would never lay a paw upon my own kin! I was going to say she needs watching is all. ADAM aside, we don't yet know what effect my power will have upon her psyche let alone her body...**

Naruto nearly fell over.

_'Well, I'll be damned.'_

**"What?"**

_'You've gone soft!'_

**"Shut up!"**

Naruto shook his head, banishing the beast's protests from his brain. There would be time for that later. For now, there was only the little girl at his feet, yearning for her father.

"Alma." He called softly, beckoning at the distraught child. "Come to daddy." He'd half-expected her to take two tentative steps forward; to pause, or hesitate when approaching him. He wasn't at all prepared when she darted around the safety of Tenenbaum's skirts and scrambled into his arms. He took her in a tight hug, not too tight, as he minded the roughness of his armor, but an embrace nonetheless. With gentleness defiant the size of his suit, the metal man brushed a budding tear from her bared face.

Alma stepped back, her red eyes gleaming with unshed tears.

He could see the fear she'd felt, feel terror in her gut as the slug was ripped from her stomach. But his mere prescence wiped all of that away. She was a normal little girl_-albeit the red eyes and pale skin-_again and she had him to thank for it. She seemed to understand that she owed him not only her wellbeing, but her life as well. Her eyes were a gentle blue beneath the blazing red, he realized. Just like his own. Must

"Daddy." She asked softly, suddenly. "You're not lonely anymore are you?"

This time, Naruto really did fall over.

Backwards, thankfully, and away from the little sister. Tenenbaum sqwuaked in surprise, but Naruto waved her aside. His mind reeled as he stared down at her, this grave eight-year old who looked up at him with eyes bellying wisdom beyond her years. Those eyes, they held pain in them. Pain his fractured mind knew all too well.

**"It seems she's accumulated a few of our memories as well." **Then, almost as an afterthought,** "What little you remember, anyway."**

_'No kidding.'_

"No, Alma." He rose and took her into another embrace. "Daddy's not lonely anymore. Not all."

Alma smiled at that and it was like a ray of sunshine in the darkened depths of his heart. She tugged his hand toward her and held it, her fingers dwarfed by the massive gauntlet.

"Can we play then?" she asked.

Naruto blinked.

_"Play?"_

Alma nodded.

"I wanna play."

Something about the way Alma talked about _playing_ left Omega doubting that they'd be playing a game of hide-and-go-seek. No, he very much doubted that Alma's version of "playtime" involved playing at all. Instead, he felt the strangest sort of dread for whomever might be her playmate.

"Alright, but only for a little bit." Naruto said. "Daddy has to go out with Mr. Jack soon."

Undettered by the time limit, the girl scrabbled onto his shoulder.

"Let's go play outside, daddy!" she giggled.

"What

"Let's play house!"

Gazing upon the enraptured expression she wore, Naruto couldn't help but shudder. He actually felt sorry for the splicers they were about to encounter. If Alma had inherited even one-fourth of his power through those genes then her victims..._ahem_ playmates were in for a world of hurt. Glancing down at Tenenbaum, he forced a small smile at her expression. He'd have to wait for the others to rise, before he introduced them to Alma and the newest member of their family, Just as well then, that he get the urge to "play" out of her sysem as soon as possible.

"Radio me when he wakes up." He gestured toward Jack.

"Where are you going?" Tenenbaum asked.

"Why, to play, of course."

Alma giggled softly.

It would seem he had some making up to do.

* * *

In the end, their "playtime" didn't consist of very much playing.

Alma simply rode atop his shoulder, humming to herself as Omega vanquished wave upon wave of splicers; he couldn't risk having them encroach on the ticket booth, now could he? He was only slightly disturbed when she began dancing in their blood and covering her arms with it, leaving small, bloody footprins scattered about the room. With the threat dispatched, and his daughter satisfified, he led her back to their vent, promising to see her again upon his return.

"Daddy?" Alma asked as they clomped toward her hidey-hole.

"Hmmm?"

"You'll always play with me, right?"

"Of course." he reassured her.

"You'll always love me, right?" Alma insisted, pressing a bloody hand against his porthole, demanding his attention. "Righ?"

Omega waved her concerns aside and patted her little head.

"I'll always love you, Alma." he insisted "No matter what."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She smiled at that, a small secretive smile, before allowing herself to be helped back into the vent and off to safety.

"Daddy wil always love me." She murmurred softly to herself as she crawled back to Tenenbaum's safe haven. "Always."

Naruto watched her go, wondering at the slight unease he felt. It was probably nothing. Just nerves. He wasn't used to her peculiar behavior, though it could be said he was, in part responsible for it. After what she had been through it was only natural that Alma have some odd...tendencies. Still, why was he so worried? Alma was his daughter. It wasn't as if she'd been scarred for life, right?

**"You're just being paranoid."** His tenant chided. **"She may have your blood and my power, but it means nothing while she's still a child."**

"You're probably right-

"Ah!" A little sister screamed from upstairs. "Daddy! Help!"

A little sister? Omega turned his helmet in the direction of the voice. Where?

Omega sprinted up the stairs, the waterlogged wood creaking ponderously beneath his boots. Darted around the banister, stormed through the living room, and crossed to the kitchen, pausing just long enough to take in his surroundings, to search for the source of the scream.

"Let go! Let go!"

There!

Uncaring for the securis door barring his path, Omega revved the drill and charged.

There was no little sister.

Instead he found himself staring at an audio diary, strapped to the glass wall, nearby a vent. And, tucked atop the diary, ticking away inexorably without a care in the world, a stick of dynamite. Naruto's eyes flew wide open as the counter reached three...two...one... zero. Dread froze his veins like ice, leaving him speechless as the fireball spread outward, roiling across the room and toward him.

"You _gotta_ be kidding me."

The explosion bowled him over and bowed the glass.

Shrapnel shredded his suit, tearing open the rubberized fabric, slicing the skin beneath, drowning him in a river of agony. He crashed down the stairs headfirst, helmet ringing harshly with each step he struck. Through a cracked porthole, he peered out at the blackened and charred remains of the room. The glass had held, but only just, the metal frame, bent inward the force of the explosion, the water desperate to force its way into the room. Had it flooded, he would have drowned.

Gasping, with each breath, the Big Daddy dragged himself off the floor and wiped the blood from his porthole. First Aid Kits and fresh EVE flowed through his veins, leaving his ears ringing, mind swimming.

"Oh, my, whatever have we here?"

Cackling, the housewife from hell appeared at the top of the stairs, her dress dirtied and stained with blood and grease, but with a face so twisted and mutilated it was a terror to behold. She toted a large pistol in one hand, but Omega beat her to the draw, sending a spinning spear straight to her gut. It impacted with a wet crunch, sending the screaming monster back towards the glass wall, where she was pinned. Even from a distance away, the Big Daddy could see the small spider web crack spread out form the impact space and a few streams of water begin to shoot in.

Dismissing it for now, he returned his attention to the fight.

But there was none to be had.

Indeed, Big Daddy turned in search of a new opponent and found none. Save for the lone splicer he'd dispatched, there were no enemies. That bomb had come close to finishing him, and the splicer had obviously been the one to plant it and lure him here, but something felt...wrong. This reeked of a setup. What business would a rogue splicer have in attacking a lone big daddy? He didn't have Alma with him, so it wasn't like she had anything to gain from his death. Indeed, why lure him here at all, unless...

_It was a trap._

"Daddy look out!"

Naruto stole a glance back at the vent, alarmed to find a little sister hanging out of it and pointing past him, her eyes wide with terror. Acting on instinct alone, he shifted aside, stepping ever so slightly to the right, the ground quaking beneath the heavy bootsteps. He tensed his muscles and took a small step forward, peering into the gloom, and the sudden silence beyond.

It saved his life.

Were it not for the soft pitter patter of padded feet, were it not for his super-senses the needle would have gored him right then and there. Instead it struck only a glancing blow, tearing through the fabric just below his left shoulder, his attacker sweeping harmlessly past as he staggered to the side. Omega backpedalled, staunching the wound with a burst of winter blast, searching for his attacker, as he felt the hot blood cool. What he found there left his blood colder than the ice clenched within his fist.

Naruto found himself face to face with a Big Sister. This one was noticeably taller than the rest and certainly older; the dirty diving suit practically clung to her frame. The fabric was stretched in place and snug in others that did wonders for the imagination. Was there really a former little sister under there? He had no way of knowing. Reluctantly, he put away his speargun and drew out his drill She uttered but two words as she came for him; an eerie, ear splitting hiss, echoing the trio of sizzling fireballs swirling above her head.

There could be only one reason for a rogue Big Sister to hunt him down.

"Kill Omega...

Omega had time for only one thought as he realized the scope of Sofia Lamb's brilliance.

_Oh shit._

Then he ducked.

The first missile exploded against the dried wood, catching the rotting shipment like paper. The second found itself frozen, reduced to a chunk of ice as he hurled a geyser of frozen winter at it. The third seared across it and into the floor, leaving a pothole for the Big Daddy to bound over as he tanked toward the sister. With a feral hiss, she pounced upon him, covering the distance between them in an instant.

Her needle tore through empty air.

Naruto vanished in a cloud of red mist, allowing the screeching sister to pass right through him. His control over the teleportation plasmid remained incomplete however: he could only use it a handful of times before he ended up rearranging his internal organs. And with his wound, he couldn't afford to prolong the fight. The Big Sister held no such qualms. A bolt of electricity crackled across the expanse between them, forcing the once proud protector to roll aside and evade. This one was different from the others, he realized Already he could see a hive of hornets hatching from the honeycombs occupying her right wrist.

An ominous buzzing filled the air, a prelude to what was to come.

"Omega!" She shrieked, voice rising in desperation. "Kill Omega!"

His mind raced, before lighting upon a single, desperate idea. Jumping atop the table, he stowed his gun and held forth both his hands, their flesh frosting over and draining of all color. Then came the swarm. He could barely see them, the horde of chattering, hungry insects, but he could hear them, and that was enough. Roaring, the Big Daddy faced down the swarm with all the power and fury of winter freezing blasts of howling air and ice thundering from his palms and breaking the bugs' charge on the spot. In a hail of tiny corpses, the stinging little monsters fell to the ground, encased in frost and deprived of life.

The Big Sister shrieked from her hideaway and her palms blazed anew.

Naruto lashed out, a sonicboom exploding from both hands. The Big Sister shrieked as she found herself flung like a ragdoll back into the rafters. Naruto stole a glance upward and raised his hands for a second time. As he stretched his hands, the rafters shook imperceptibly, groaning, as he forced his will upon them. With a titanic effort of telekinesis he wrenched the rafters from the ceiling, sending them hurtling towards the floor, to crush the big sister. He grimaced behind the helmet as the effort took its toll. Faltered, thin lines of blood trickling out from his nose as he fell to one knee.

No more. His body screamed. No more please, no more.

A gleaming red light shone before his porthole.

"Kill...Omega...

Omega's fists clenched, his teeth locked.

"No." This single sentence shattered all pretence for the sister.

"Wah?"

Even with her mind in drug-addled state, Anko knew a Big Daddy shouldn't be talking. Shouldn't be speaking to her. Fear dawned in her eyes, only to be overidden by the pain. She couldn't stop. She had to keep going. If she stopped then she would feel pain and if she felt pain then she'd re-experiences the memories and if that happened-no! _No no no no no!_ She had to kill him! She must kill him! And then, then...then she'd figure all of the rest out! But she had to kill him first! Must kill him! _Kill Omega..._

The Big Sister said nothing, gave no voice to her fears, her concerns. She stabbed him, twice, thrusting deep with her needle. Agonising hellfire roared up Omega's spine and bent it almost double. His right arm creeked in pain, throbbed planitively, demanding his attention. With a grunt he levered himself upward, slamming two booted feet into the sister's stomach. She staggered, the wind driven from her lungs. Omega seized upon in an instant, his fingers closing around her thin throat. Big Sister screamed but the Big Daddy's grip was like steel, his grip firmly fixed upon the twisted woman's throat.

He stared hatefully at her, clamping one hand, then the other down onto her neck, wringing the life out of her flailing frame. He would not die like this. He would not be slain by a Big Sister. Even if it meant killing those whom he'd sworn to protect, these poor derranged creatures now grown up, he would not die here. His fingers flared with incinerate, the ADAM rising as he readied himself to melt through her head-

And then she rammed the needle into his stomach.

Yowling in pain, he flung her to the floor, her helmet ringing hollowly as it struck the metal deck of the loading dock.

Naruto collapsed, clutching his ribs, silently screaming. He'd been hurt.

He lifted his hand gingerly, like peering beneath battlefield dressings and expecting to be confronted by gangrene. Two puncture wounds, deen and wide like dagger thrusts, pierced his inviolable metal suit. The wounds bubbled with venom and Omega watched in utter disbelief, as rubberized fabric and living metal corroded before his very eyes. As if stung, he withdrew his other hand afraid that the taint would spread to both. Beneath the bleeding iron burned and blistered skin was revealed and in it a memory was born...

_Not yet._

Naruto frowned.

No longer was he in Rapture. He knew this because he felt sunlight on his face, streaming through the bedroom window. It stung at his eyes, forcing him to squint against it._ Wait a second._ He looked down at himself in disbelief, his gorge rising. The diving suit was gone, the metal armor that had been his rock for nearly a decade now nowhere to be seen. With arms numbed from sleep he pushed himself up and off the mattress taking slow, deep breaths. He was naked or nearly so, garbed only in a pair of boxers. A cold sweat broke out upon his face, as he clutched at himself with his hands. Where was he? _When_ was he? Was this a memory from his past? Was he dead? Or-

A hand settled on his shoulder from behind, pulling him back down to the bed. He jerked around, startled as his head came to rest upon he pillows once more. Beside him lay a woman her pale skin shimmering in warm morning light, naked as the day she was born. He marvelled at her, the dip of her waist, the subtle curve of her breasts, that smooth, flawless back...

Her face was blurred, indistinct. Yet when she spoke, her words were filled with such warmth, he couldn't help but know her. Ah, but her name! It escaped him, slipping through his fingers. She reached out to stroke his cheek, caressing his whiskered face and he shuddered, tried to speak. But the words would not come. All that emerged was a dry hollow rasp. He was tired. So very tired. He no longer knew whether this was a memory or a hallucination; because he no longer cared. He just wanted to rest. Yes...just rest...just for a little while...

"Not yet, darling." the woman_-who was she?-_whispered, at once soothing him and setting his soul aflame. "You can't come home yet."

She smiled then, and the gesture was warm as lava glow. Her eyes, however, flashed fire.

_Not yet._

Naruto wanted that light for himself, to be equal. He wasn't vain; he merely wanted to be acknowledged. His entire existence until this point had been spent in the pursuit of strength. He could not believe that all of this had been spent in an ancillary role. Omega...no, Naruto, could not believe he had been brought from one shadow to merely be consigned to another. He reached for her and she took his hand. Kissed it. Warmth spread from his hand to his arm, reached his chest, engulfed his body

She looked at him, hard, determined, her pale eyes flashing in the gloom.

_Endure._

The word was like his anchor. Lose that and he would be cast adrift upon an endless sea of chaos. He shook his head to banish the worst of the fog threatening at the edges of his vision. Vision, memory, hallucination, whatever it was, it was fading fast, rapidly supplanted by reality.

_Endure!_

It surged through him like a _tide, _a powerful, deadly riptide, dragging him back from the edge of reason. He would not fall here. He would not falter. Not now. Not ever. Certainly not to a Big Sister! Howling his fury, Omega ripped off his helmet thrust it to the floor, the ion laser roared to life in his hand and a hive of hornets exploded from the honeycombs upon his wrist. The Big Sister shrieked in what sounded a great deal like frustration and lurched forward, determined to end his life.

She was met by a swarm of insects.

Biting and stabbing and stinging, they drove her back, presenting the Big Daddy with the reprieve he needed. Omega snarled and let loose with the Ion Laser, the red tinged beam cutting swaths through the darkness like a flaming sword. The Big Sister screamed as it struck her head on, cutting through her helmet like a hot knife through butter. Shrieking she cast it off and aside the rotund porthole falling away with a harsh clatter of deat metal and iron. Her hands spat great gouts of flame, incinerating the insects harassing her, extinguishing the fires as she tucked and rolled and came up swinging the needle like a bludgeon.

Naruto lurched back as a sea of violet hair splayed before his vision, momentarily blinding him to the face beyond. He saw no golden amber eyes, recognized no pale skin. Her eyes glowed a soft hazel instead, her flesh had yet to completely shirk its tan pallor nor her lips that crazed grimace as she shucked the weapon at him. Naruto slapped it aside and lashed out in kind the butt of his weapon, striking her forhead with a resounding smack. This was no little sister grown up! This was a fake! Fraud!

_Imposter!_ His mind screamed as he renewed the assault, his fingers closing around her head and driving her to the floor. The Big Sister hissed as she crashed to the ground; but not without a fight. Even as she pitched toward the floor she wrapped her legs around his torsom dragging him down with her. The two rapturian golems wrested on the floor for a moment, struggling to reclaim the advantage and end their battle. He had size and reach but she had flexibility. Daddy and Sister, both leered back at one another, each refusing to yield.

"Die already, damnit!" he hissed, driving his thumbs into her eye sockets.

"Fuck you!" She shouted over a mouthful of hand, her teeth sinking through the stained leather gloves and into the flesh beyond. "You're the one who should die! _Omega!"_ Naruto yelped and withdrew his hand, fingers stinging, crackling with lightning. Light flashed in his blue eyes, illuminating his face in the shadows as he drove the deadly voltage into her body. He'd end her right here, right now-

Abruptly, the sister went limp.

"No." was all she said before the shit hit the fan.

Naruto staggered back as she buffeted him with debris. Without his helmet to protect him he was left to absorb the brunt of her attack, his body reeling helplessly as she she pelted him with wave upon wave of deadly steel, wood, plaster, anything and everything within range of her telekinetic ability. She stood woodenly as he slumped under the assault, not taking enough care, clutching at her head.

The Big Sister who was not a Big Sister at all gawped at him. Her hazel eyes widened, her mouth worked wordlessly. "No." She whispered. "No." She stepped back and shook her head. "It can't be. You can't...I can't...I don't...NO!" She flung her hands on a sudden, cringing away from him. "Stay away! You stay away from me! You're not him! You're not! _Not!"_ Wailing in despair, she took off in the opposite direction, fleeing as though the hounds of hell were at her heels.

"Get the hell back here!" Omega bellowed at her retreating form, wincing as his ribs throbbed in protest. "We're not done!"

"Leave me alone!" She shrieked over her shoulder, never once slackening in her stride. "You're not him! You're not! _You're not Naruto!"_

Omega froze, eyes blazing.

The hell?

Not even Tenenbaum knew that name!

He flicked his wrist forward, a charged hypnotize plasmid flying from his fingers. It struck the faux-sister squarely between her shoulders and she froze, her body stiffening as the mind controlling plasmid took hold. She growled through her teeth, her eyes widening in silent fear as her body betayed her, her legs carrying her in the opposite direction she'd intended as the effects of the plasmid summoned her back to his side. Naruto did a quick check on his EVE levels. He was nearly out and the plasmid wouldn't hold a Big Sister for more than a few seconds at most, which was why he'd never bothered_-or had a chance-_to use it during their scuffle. This sister, fake though she was, knew him. She knew him from the surface.

"Sleep." The Big Daddy growled.

Her eyes grew wider still, but her body complied, eyelids drooping, falling limp seconds later. Omega caught her with an effort, hauled her lithe body onto his shoulder. Oof! She was heavier than she looked! Grunting in exertion, he reached down for his helmet with his free hand, fingers fumbling as he struggled to reseal the clamps. The deed done, he fell back, but his anger was much too hot to let it be. He turned, growling under his breath.

He wanted answers.

* * *

What he found were more questions.

"There is something you need to see." Tenenbaum gestured feebly toward the sisters' room as he entered, frowning only slightly at the sight of the sister slung over his shoulder. "And who is this you are bringing back with you?" The violet-haired sister began to stir at her words, and a swift elbow to the head drove her back under.

"Is he awake?" Naruto glanced at the room in which they kept Jack.

"He woke few hours ago, yes." Tenenbaum nodded. "Should we-

"Leave him." Naruto sighed.

"But-

"I said leave him!" Omega all but hissed, his eyes flaring a sinister shade of scarlet. "We'll deal with him once _I've_ dealt with this!"

"And who is this?"

"That's what I aim to find out, doctor." there was only the slightest wince to his words.

"Ach! You are hurt! Here, let me-

"I'm healing." The hollow man grumbled, but not before ripping off his helmet and casting it into a corner. His vision cleared, he could now attend to the task at hand.

Naruto groaned as he slung her onto the nearest bed he could find, swiftly tying her down with a series of belts and locks. It wouldn't do for her to wake up and go on a rampage after all. Finally, their new "guest" tight and secured, he nudged past Tenenbaum and pushed the door open. He couldn't help but notice that she lingered there, almost as if she were reluctant to enter. Now, what could possibly concern the doc so much, that she insisted he enter alone. After all, what could possibly be worse than-

"Daddy!"

"Papa!"

_"Father."_

A chorus of familiar cries greeted him as he stepped into the sisters' room. The last, however, set his nerves on edge. He knew that voice. He'd heard it not three hours before. But it sounded strange. Different. Soft yet sharp; cold, yet entirely too warm. Greetings were set aside as he shouldered his way through the door, his eyes reluctantly adjusting to the dim lighting.

Surrounded by the little sisters, watched over by an increasingly neverous Big Sister, sat little Alma Wade. Only, she wasn't little. Not anymore.

Shock rolled from Kyuubi in waves.

**"Oh...**

_...fuck."_ The Big Daddy finished for him.

Despite himself, Omega could not help gawp at the sight of his daughter. Whereas she'd once been a little girl she was now no longer so. Long raven tresses spilled down her back in a lustruous curtain of shadow. Red eyes blazed with warmth and excitement as he entered the room, a small, excited smile wreathing her pale features. She rose to greet him, tucking her head into his neck with a contented sigh. Naruto stiffened as her body, the body of a young woman, pushed against his chest. Even dressed as she was in Tenenbaum's rustic attire he wasn't quite prepared for the sudden stirring he felt in his chest. In the three hours since he'd seen her last, his second eldest daughter_-well she was certainly the eldest now!-_had grown from a young girl into a young woman.

"A-Alma?"

She smiled warmly.

"Hello, _father."_

**A/N: Alma. Alma Wade is a little sister. Wu-oh. I fee quite sorry for anyone fool enough to endager her precious papa. As if Naruto didn't have enough problems to deal with. And with that, the oh so deadly "would you kindly" conditioning is undone from Jack's mind. What fate will befall him now that Fontaine can no longer control his every action? And remember, Naruto and Tenebaum ar unaware of the Atlas/Fontaine connection, leaving them hopelessly in the dark for what is to come. They have their suspicions, but for now they are just that. Suspicions. Still one can only wonder at the the look of surprise on Andrew Ryan's face when his "son" doesn't respond to the commands...MWAHAHAHA!**

**Looks like Anko's been caught! And Jack's about to wake up! There's gonna be a reckoning next chapter, boyo!**

**So...Review, would you kindly?**

**R&R!=D**


	7. We Are Family

**A/N: BREAKING NEWS! On the opening night of The Dark Knight Rises there was a shooting in a Colorado movie theater when a man in a gash mask and a kevla vest stormed theater nine through the emergency exit and began shooting people at random. Twelve people were killed and fifty injured. Thankfully, they caught the son of a bitch before he offed himself. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families affected by this horrific tragedy and I hope in the dearest depths of my heart that the one responsible for this massacre never sees the light of day again. EVER.**

**To any of you readers from the Colorado region, I offer you my most sincere of condolences. Always cherish your loved ones. You never know when you may lose them.**

**Also, to FuckingTypo: Really mate? This is FICTION. Reality is meant to be broken. Just let it be and enjoy the story. You don't like it? Drop it. Everyone else seems quite happy with the events of this fic so far. N****ow, would you kindly enjoy this chapter?**

_"Who am I?"_

_~Big Sister._

**We Are Family**

Sofia Lamb had just made the most _remarkable_ discovery.

Subject Omega: the insufferable thorn in her side, the very bane of her existence, the reason she was currently confined to a wheelchair, had spoken. Words. She'd witnessed it all through the security cameras, just as she'd witnessed the treachey of her test subject. Any further attempt to administer neural shock subsuquently failed; whatever Omega had done to her he'd obviously freed the woman from their control. Such a shame too. They'd been so close to unlocking the secrets of her body, of that mark on her neck.

But now, they had Omega. Well, almost.

They hadn't quite pinpointed his location, but know they knew where to look. The Atlantic Express. She couldn't help but smile at the knowledge.

She might have lost the battle, but not the war.

Not the war...

* * *

_"Daddy doesn't like you."_

The eyes of Mitarashi Anko flew open with a start at these words. Her body lurched upright-or at least it tried. Her body was tied to a table, her arms and legs bound with belts and locks, her wrists shackled together by a crude link of chain. Her chakra was suppressed, it refused to come when she called upon it. Nor did the ADAM, that addicting drug, they'd pumped through her veins. It was gone, now, all of it-every last drop!-leaving her hungering for more. She wanted it. Needed it. Craved it. Her body pined for the stuff, breaking out into a cold sweat at the thought of her next fix.

_Sons of bitches! _the small rational side of herself thought. _Not only have they fucked up my mind, but they've turned me into a druggie, too!_

The room she found herself occupying was completely white, save for the bars that blocked in the windows around the room. _Bars, _she thought to herself, _so I must be a captive?_ _What the hell happened? Where the hel am I? Omega!_ She winced as the memory of her defeat crashed down around her._ Fuck. Bastard knocked me out. Should've known better..._

An angry hiss ended Anko's self loathing.

She found herself staring up, _up _into the glowing, golden eyes of a young girl. She couldn't have been more than fifteeen years old. _She couldn't have been more pissed off._Her fists were whiteknuckled around the bars of the bed, her face twisted in a rictus of fury. The white dress she wore was indeed beautiful, but that beauty stood in sharp contrast to the cold rage burning in those eyes. Memories of tormented torture dredged that old pain up from the depths of Anko's mind again, filling her soul to the brim with terror. But she held firm.

"Who the fuck are you?" she asked.

The girl did not answer that question. Instead, she re-emphasized her earlier declaration:

"Daddy _doesn't_ like you."

"Who the hell is Daddy?"

The lithe stranger leaned back from the bars, arms folded eyes narrow. She radiated displeasure.

"Where am I?" Anko demanded, glowering. "Fucking answer me, damnit!"

The yellow-eyed teenager stepped backwards, sharking her head in dissapointment.

"Papa!" She cried, turning toward the door. "The bad lady's awake!"

Anko managed to rasp out:

"Papa?"

Then the door swung open and the metal juggernaut that was Omega stomped inside.

Anko braced herself for the pain, but nothing came. There was no anger no agony not even the slightest twitch of the bloodthirsty rage she'd felt prior to their battle. What _did_ come was a maddening spasm of absolute and total terror. Him! The one with the kid's face! The imposter! Murderer! She felt all these things and more as he shouldered his way inside, his slim metal porthole turning to take her in, in turn.

Anko bucked, thrashing against her restraints, and immediately regretted it. While there was no neural shock to greet her, her body was thus confined, leaving the belts an buckles digging into her bare skin. _Wait._ What happened to her suit? While she was glad to be rid of the thing, she also felt naked without it. With a growing sense of trepidation she also realized what she was wearing. A white dress, _exactly_ the same one as the girl standing over her currently wore. Probably why the kid was so pissed at her. She was wearing one of her favorite dresses and her body was stretching it out, to boot!

Before she could further debate the situation, her mind snapped back to the present and all consuming horror she felt as the Big Daddy reached for her, syringe in hand.

"Don't you fucking touch me, Omega!" She shrieked, glowing eyes widening as the imposing titan stalked toward her bedside. "I swear if you poke me with that needle, I'll turn you fucking inside out!"

Omega sighed; it was a soft, whispery sound, reminiscent of dead leaves blown in the wind.

"Why on earth would I inject you with this serum?" He looked at the woman below him, his eye slowly drifting down to regard her with complete and utter contempt. "This needle in my hand contains a simple placebo I have used to effectively distract you, woman."

Anko's eyes widened in rage at the madman's statement when he felt a small prick on the back of her arm. She whirled around to find the girl wielding a needle of her own one far larger than that of the tiny syringe the Big Daddy cradled in his palm. Too late, she felt the prick, felt the medicine course through her veins as the yellow-eyed girl depressed the plunger injecting her with a soft colored amber fluid. Tears stung at the corner of her eyes, dredging up more memories of torture.

Mitarashi Anko found herself truly terrified for the first time in her entire existence. She turned back to the Big Daddy, but found her movements stiff and sluggish. She tried to reach out perhaps to break her bonds and strangle the man before the drug took complete control of her, but her arms wouldn't move.

_Oh shit. Oh fuck. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck. This is not good. This can't… oh holy shit._

"Now," Omega soothed as the girl stuck her with yet another needle. "You will tell me everything. Everything I want to know. Do you understand?" She opened her mouth to tell him something else only to find different words spilling from her mouth altogether. In an instant, Anko, master of torture and devices that she was, she recognized this choice of treatment. Her mind railed against it, but to no avail. She was helpless as Omega ushered the girl outside, locked and bolted the door behind her.

_Truth serum._ she thought helplessly as the powerful anesthetic took control. _Shit. Fuck. Shit!_

"Do you understand?" He repeated, a second time.

Helpless to reply otherwise, all she could utter was a soft sounding:

"Yes."

"Name." Omega demanded immediately, cutting right to the chase.

"Mitarashi Anko." she replied feebly. "Jonin of Konoha."

There was no flicker of recognition in the eyes behind the iron mask. It killed her inside.

"Very good." Omega nodded, reaching for the clasp of his helmet. "Now," With a crack and hiss of pressurized air the fracture porthole disappeared, yielding to the face beneath as he tore aside the facade. Anko's heart leapt into her throat and promptly sank back down into her stomach. Harsh, jaded eyes, the color of winter skies peered down at her, utterly emotionless. Chiseled whiskered cheeks, framed by sand blond locks, turned taut in a scowl as he spoke. She could see the wires threading through the base of his neck. Barely visible inside the veins, but there nonetheless. His voice jerked her back to the interrogation.

"Identify." he pointed at himself.

"Uzumaki Naruto." She willed herself not to say it, but once more her body betrayed her. "Genin of Konoha."

"Status."

"You were abducted near the sea...at age eighteen." Anko felt her lips move but that was all they were doing now as her mind slowly slipped away from the situation, from herself. "I...we...thought you were dead." She tried to bit her lip to stop the words from spreading. She failed. "We searched for your body, but found nothing."

"Personal status." his eyes hardened, frozen chips of diamond.

"Engaged." the word tore itself out of her lips, taking a piece of her heart with it.

The blond sputtered in surprise, his control momentarily forgotten. There it was. That flicker of recognition.

"T-To whom?"

"..."

With every fiber of her being Mitarashi Anko fought the truth serum and willed herself not to answer. She must not answer. She could not answer. Tears trailed down her face as she sank her teeth into her tongue, with a small whimper. She bit down until she tasted blood, hating herself, hating the pain, deperate to keep the words from coming out. She shook her head, her hair flying this way and that uncaring as the blond demanded answers, as he seized her shoulders and shook her like a ragdoll.

"To whom!" The Big Daddy bellowed, quaking with rage. "Answer me, damnit!"

Something about his words broke the tenuous grip Anko had on her sanity. Overwhelmed the last bastion of clarity that was her self control. She felt herself slipping, and, even as she clawed her way back t the fore she found herself awash in anger; wave upon wave of righteous indignation crashing down upon her mind, driving her under.

In short, Mitarashi Anko snapped.

**_"TO ME!" _**Anko shrieked at him, pain erupting in her neck. Lurching upright she spat at him, hurling blood and obscenities in his face.**_ "You were engaged to me! You stupid kid! Fucking douchebag! Screw you asshole! Piss off and die!" _**She was still cursing, still spouting venom and bile at him, when she realized that the pain in her neck was _slowly spreading._ Scrawling across her skin in an eerie semblance of flame. Anko froze, hazel eyes narrowingas power surged through her ravage limbs, empowering her, emboldening her, burning away the lingering remains of her ADAM addiction. She felt...good. She felt...strong. She felt like she'd been set free, all of her earlier despair forgotten, all her cords cut. She felt...

_Free._

**"You little shit!" **she snarled, her back arching, chafing against the restraints.** "Fake! Fraud! How dare you wear his face! How dare you pretend to be him! HOW DARE YOU!"**

"Stop that!" Omega was adamant. "You're going to hurt yourself!"

**"Hah!"** She laughed bitterly as her bonds strained to hold her down. **"Since when are you concerned about my safety! I don't need you! I don't want your pity! I don't need anything from you, imposter!"**

Belts and cords snapped above her like string as she flexed her shoulders, her hair and dress whipping about her in an unseen wind. Before the blond could react she lashed out, cracking him across the face with strong blows, driving her knuckles into his nose again and again and again with monumental force until he staggered backward; stunned, clutching at his bloodied and broken visage. But Anko wasn't done yet. She pounced at him like a tiger, driving him to the floor, head first.

Omega grunted as the madwoman tackled him, his eyes widening as she slammed his face against a bulkhead. Flames flickered in his hand, guttered out as her fingers wrapped around his neck, cursing him all the while . The Big Daddy offered no resistance after that. He simply lay there as she railed into him, silently absorbing every blow she drove into his ribs and stomach. It was only when a sickening crack was produced that Anko actually paused to observe her handiwork.

Idly, she noted his wounds were beginning to heal, his nose setting itself, the purplish blotches already half faded from his whiskered cheeks. But something was wrong. Terribly wrong horribly wrong, horrifically so. His face. It was his face. It wasn't changing. He wasn't moving. Indeed, his chest had ceased to rise and fall, leaving his head lolling at an awkward angle. He wasn't...he couldn't possibly be...real, could he?

_What have I done?_

As quickly as it had come on, the darkened rage fled, taking the markings with it. She was left alone with him, with her grief and despair.

_What have I done?_

With trembling fingers she reached down to touch his face, lovingly tracing her fingers across those whiskered cheek. How many times had she done so in the past? How many times had she touched his cheek, told him how much he meant to her, how special he was to her, how much she loved him? How many times had he blushed and sputtered beneath her affection? Now, he didn't move. Didn't blink. Didn't even breathe. Fumbling for a pulse, she found none and nothing. Not even a twitch. Oh god. She'd really done it, hadn't she? She'd killed him. Murdered him, the only one who knew her pain, the only man she'd ever loved.

_What have I done what have I done WHAT HAVE I DONE?_

Stradling him, sobbing as she peered down at his broken and battered face, Mitarashi Anko flunf her head and screamed.

This wasn't a fake. She'd deluded herselfinto thinking such; that he was dead, that he couldn't possibly be here, in this god forsaken hellhole. She'd been wrong. _Stupid. Stupid girl!_ _She berated herself. You've killed the only person that ever mattered to you! Nice job! You worhtless piece of-_

An abrupt wave of killer intent crested over the room, killing the voice and filling her with dread.

Before she could give voice to her horror, however, the door came flying off its hinges. Anko cried out as it impacted her chest, flinging her across the whitewashed room and flattening her against the ceiling. She gave a small gasp of pain as an invisible hand, wrenched her back to the floor, door and all, pancaking her against the unyielding steel. A bloodcurdling scream fell upon her ears; pierced them, ripping through her eardrums, manifesting itself as a solid and wrathful wall of sound.

_"Father!"_

Anko had only an instant to register the voice before she registered a black and red blur in her peripheals; before she found herself flattened against the wall. Baleful orbs of the most hateful crimson bored into her eyes and left her speechless irises, pinnioning her with a horrific gaze. Such strength! She half-expected a second Big Daddy to be the culprit but no; she was mistaken. A young woman glowered back at her, a heart shaped face framed by long lustruous raven locks. She was beautiful. She was also terrifying, her voice black as pitch, her body quivering with rage when she spoke.

_"Do. Not. Touch. Him."_ The woman hissed, drawing out every syllable. "No one is allowed to touch him." Her fingers tightened like a vice around Anko's throat._ "You_ are not allowed to touch him," She ammended with a soft snarl, the fingers of her free hand tightening into a powerful point. _"You_ are not allowed to hurt him!" Her voice rising with every syllable, she thrust her hand forward. Anko couldn't have stopped it, and even if she had been able to, she wouldn't have bothered. She'd just killed the only being that ever mattered in her life, save maybe for her parents, and they'd left her an orphan when she was six. The least she could do was join her beloved in hell-

**"It's alright, Alma."**

Two pairs of eyes, one crimson, the other hazel, jerked toward the voice, mouths agape.

"But...father!" The young woman cried, petulant. "She hurt you! She should die!"

**"She broke my nose and a few ribs, that's all." **With a grunt, the Big Daddy levered himself into a sitting position, at least, Anko imagined he did; she _still_ couldn't see a damned thing with Alma's hands forcing her head into the wall.** "I've been through alot worse."**

Anko's head snapped up at the voice.

"Wha?"

She flung a glance at his corpse. Only, it wasn't a corpse. Not anymore.

His eyes were open and they blazed up at her. They were red. The color of blood. Before _her_ very eyes, his wounds slithered shut, mending broken bone,, and tissue. His nose snapped back into place, leaving eyes the color of crimson to leer up at her. He gasped, and she felt his ribs snap back into place. Anko shrieked and tried to scramble back, but to no avail. Alma's arms were there, holding her fast and she was weak. Too weak, much to weak to break away from the girl's stranglehold as the Big Daddy approached her.

Naruto took one look at the woman in his daughter's arms, eyes narrowing_. _He leaned forward, eyes glittering, baring his teeth.

**_"That," _**His darkened voice leered,**_ "Really. Fucking. Hurt. Ya know?"_**

Anko didn't know what to do. She was overwhelmed. He was standing there as though nothing had happened. She'd beaten him within an inch of his life, and he'd given her a slap on the wrist. A verbal chastising, that was all, and nothing more.

"You didn't do that to me on a constant basis, did you?" he demanded hotly. "Because if you did-

"Hell no!" Anko couldn't help but snap back. "I never laid a fucking _finger_ on you unless you _asked_ for an ass-kicking!"

"That's strange." The Big Daddy frowned, deep in thought. "I distinctly remember _someone_ punching me almost daily."

"You must mean Sakura."

"Who?"

Anko opened her mouth to reply Snapped it back shut. There was no point in telling him if he didn't remember. She thought of the condtioning she'd gone through, all those months, trapped, helpless while those freaks experimented on her. Had he gone through the same thing? She'd heard whispers of "Grandaddy" amongst Big Daddies, a monster against whom not even the most advanced Big Daddy could stand. She knew of if only because: they'd hammered all sort of knowledge into her head alongside all that ADAM, hell she still had the blueprint of someplace named "Arcadia" tattooed inside her head! Could the kid really be this Grandaddy that the splicers spoke of, though? She shook her head. There would be time for that later. For now, a single question burned at the back of her mind. She needed an answer to it.

"You...you really don't remember me, do you, kid?" She asked softly, tentatively. "You don't remember..._us?"_

Alma blinked.

The Big Daddy bristled.

_"Kid?" _his voice was cold, intense.

"Well, you're obviously not a kid anymore." Anko couldn't help it: the glance she sent her former lover_-kow that she truly knew it was him-_was an appreciative one. She hadn't seen him in many a year since that fateful day. Now he was alive and well-very well, hot damn!-standing here before as thought nothing had happened. But something _had_ happened. The kid hadn't been anywhere near as tall when she'd last seen him, nor had he those jagged scars lining the length of his neck. She had no way of knowing what he looked like under that suit and it filled her with dread. Whatever torture she'd experienced, he'd doubtlessly suffered much worse; an experience so hellish it wiped most memories of his previous life away. And now he took that torture to a whole new level with each instant he denied her.

"I remember someone." Naruto admitted. "Whether or not that someone is indeed you...remains to be seen." She could see it there, lurking, behind hooded eyes. Skepticism. He wasn't about to leap into her arms-_now wouldn't that be a funny sight to see!-_solely because she laid claim to him; simply because she _said_ she was his fiance. Speaking of which...

"Did you ever call me darling?" Naruto asked suddenly. "When we were...you know...

He gestured broadly.

Anko blinked.

"Me?" She gave the matter some thought, reflecting back on their stormy relationship. All those years on and off between missions: months apart coupled by frenzied evenings together stolen moments of passion taken at little to no discretion. The threat of Akatsuki had been too great back then. It still was, yet somehow they'd made it work, eventually culminating five years together in a tenuous engagement. "No, I don't think I ever called you darling, at least, not like that." she shook her head, wisely opting not to mention the fact that the organization still thrived on the surface.

There was a war on, after all. Cold though it may be...

Omega's crestfallen expression wiped all of that away. Poor kid looked like he'd just had his heart broken. A pang of jealousy lanced through her breast. Neither had been entirely faithful to one another in the beginning but she'd thought they'd put that behind them. Apparently not. She'd stopped seeing Ibiki when things got serious between them. So who was it, then? Who held his heart even now, in this underwater world? Was it all in her head? Was it some foreign shinobi long since dead? She couldn't suss it out and it drove her to madness.

"I know that look." She pressed the matter. "Do you remember something?"

The blond shook his head.

"No." He said. "It's nothing."

_I seriously doubt that._ Anko thought to herself. _Whoever she is, she's got you wrapped around her little finger._ Unwilling to breech the subject further, however, she turned her attention elsewhere.

"Mind telling me who she is, then?" Anko nodded toward her current captor: Alma had yet to release her, and within good reason. She was still leery of the newcomer, acquaintance or no. She needed only the slightests of spasms to break her neck, and the jonin wasn't about to trust a perfect stranger_-especially one with the power of a telekinesis plasmid-_with her life.

"Alma." Naruto practically sang the woman's name. "You can let go now."

The girl gave him a tortured look_-clearly she didn't agree wth his decision-_before complying with his request, albeit reluctantly.

Anko flopped to the floor, ungracefully landing on her ass.

"Father, who is this woman?" Alma asked, frowning. "She won't stop staring at you."

"She's my fiance...I think."

"May I call her mother then?" Alma asked curiously. "Mama Tenebaum and the other girls will want to know who she is."

Anko's mouth worked wordlessly as she finally came to terms with Alma's words.

"Father?" she whispered. "Mother? Other girls?"

Naruto groaned.

"Oh, they're going to _love_ this...

Scarce had he spoken than the soft pitter patter of several pairs of feet greeted their ears. Alma smiled. Naruto promptly crossed himself. Anko well, she couldn't quite help herself as three little girls filed into the room, their golden eyes wide with alarm and trepidation. They could have been triplets, but for the fact that one was a redheaded, freckle-faced girl, and the second was a few inches taller than the first. One of them clutched a tiny cloth doll to her chest; the clothed creature resembling the crudely stitched likeness of a Big Daddy. The trio peered at Anko from around Naruto's leg; fearful of her, of this strange woman in the white dress. She didn't know what to say at the sight of them: these girls with glowing eyes and soft gray skin. They were...kinda cute, in their own strange, eerie way.

"Who's that, daddy?" The shortest of the girls_-the brunette-_asked, pointing at her. _Cripes!_ Her voice! Anko nearly yelped in surprise, but managed to bite her tongue. Naruto shot her a scathing glare as though awaiting any further outbursts before continuing. When she did cry out he nodded marginally and she saw a modicum of respect enter his eyes as he turned away from her toward the frightened child.

"Her name is Anko, Masha." Omega paused, as though searching for the right words. "She's...someone very special to daddy."

"So...she's mommy?" the tallest of the three inquired.

Anko squeaked.

_"Mommy?" _

Naruto flinched.

"Um...well, I suppose you could say that, Valentine...

The Little Sisters were conditioned to detest mothers above all else. It was part of the bonding proccess. His girls were different, but the conditioning ran deep. He had no way of knowing what their reactions would be if they were confronted with something like this; if they were forced to face their fears. He didn't know. And how could he? There was absolutely no way of knowing-

"MOMMY!"

Masha cried as she sprang into the kunoichi's arms, nearly knocking the violet-haired woman back with the sheer force of her tackle attack. Her little hands fisted tightly around the lappels of her dress as she buried her face into the shinobi's chest and held tight, resisting all attempts at extricaion from the woman's bosom. Naruto guffawed.

_'Well I'll be damned.'_

**"We're not out of the woods yet." **Kyuubi growled.** "Alma and Masha may have accepted this wench, but that leaves you two for six. Not an impressive score there, kiddo."**

_'Would you kindly shut up?' _Naruto hissed back._ 'You're ruining the moment!'_

**"Don't you DARE feed me that would you kindly bullshit!**

_'Meh.' _The blond mused as he looked on_. 'Worth a try.'_

"H-Hey!" Anko sputtered, her face burning as the squirming child climbed into her lap. "Quit it, kid!"

"What's wrong, mommy?" Masha asked. staring up at her with large, dark, trusting eyes. Eyes devoid of anything save completely and utter adoration. Anko stole a glance at her stone-faced sisters. Both were watching their sibling intently, waiting for any sign of distrust from Anko. Afraid to approach. Afraid of her. Jeez...they were just little girls! But they weren't. Not really. These girls had been stolen, from their mothers and fathers ther innocence wrested away from them, their humannity wrecked by ADAM. They were monsters who only _looked_ like little girls. They walked and talked like them sure but she shouldn't be feeling such things for these little freaks. And yet, the way these...these _children _looked at her, it stirred something in her breast. Something...maternal.

Ah, hell.

"C'mere squirts." Anko beckoned, hesitating only slightly before speaking. "Come see..." She swallowed once. "M-Mommy."

Evelyn and Valentine's eyes lit up as one.

"MOMMY!" they cried!

Omega couldn't quite surpress a grin as they glommed Anko in a group hug.

_'How's about four out of six?'_

**"SHUT UP!"**

So bemused was he by this touching scene that he almost missed someone slipping out of the room. Almost.

_But not quite._

* * *

Big Sister didn't know what to do.

She'd come running when she heard screaming. But she'd been too slow. Alma was already there; already prying the woman off papa, pinning her to the wall with ease. And then papa_-precious invincible papa-_got back up like nothing happened. The words still rang in her ears. _Fiance. Lover. Engaged_. They made her head hurt. Tears stung at her eyes, stabbing sharp shards of pain deep into her retina. She scrabbled backwards, from the door, from him, from her, from everyone and everything before anyone could see her standing there.

She had to get away.

_I can't handle this._ was her only coherent thought as she staggered away from the nursery. Alma's transformation had been terrifying enough; the girl-turned-woman had nearly scared her half to death when she'd first knocked on the door to the ticket booth and politely asked to come inside. Bathed in blood, her little dress torn to tatters,scintilating rags barely covering her curvaceous frame...

_"Ach!" Tenenbaum had cried. "Alma! What is this that has happened to you?"_

_The woman smiled then at them then, and it was the most terrifying thing Big Sis had ever seen._

_"Hello, sisters."_

Big Sister shuddered just thinking about it.

Not because the little sisters had taken to Alma like fish to water. Not because _she_ was papa's new favorite, loved in every way possible, blessed with maturity befitting a woman of her stature. It was the eyes. She had the most stunning red eyes now, and to be honest, Big Sister was jealous. She'd seen them, those longing glances her fellow sister kept shooting at papa_-her papa!-_as if she had some claim to him. And perhaps she did have on. Papa had saved Alma. Brought her back from the dead andwelcomed her to the family with open arms. But now that Alma had grown up...something had changed.

Big Sis wasn't the oldest anymore. She wasn't papa's favorite anymore. Oh, he still treated to her as he treated all the sisters; basking her in warmth and affection but Alma...oh Alma! In the hours after her mysterious growth spurt, her transformation, she clung to papa like a shadow.

And now this.

This!

This mishap with the stranger, who really wasn't a stranger at all!

She couldn't handle it!

She shoved her way past Tenenbaum, mumbling a half-hearted apology as she nearly bowled the doctor over in her hasste. She fled down the hall, taking shelter in the first room she found. She couldn't remember whether it belonged to her or Alma and she didn't care. She wanted to be alone. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. No. That wasn't quite right. She wanted _him_ to see her like this. Papa. She wanted _him_ to see her. To comfort and console her, to ease her pain, to push these foul fragments of memory away.

But papa didn't come.

She could hear his voice down the hall, hear the delighted cries of the little sisters, the soft pitter patter of bare feet as everyone clamored to greet their new guest. They'd met "Mother" as Alma called her. _Bitch._ Sister gawped in surprise; at herself, the word, and the sudden surge of anger she experienced at the thought. Where were these feelings coming from? She hadn't...she didn't...couldn't...

_What's wrong with me?_

"Papa." She cried softly, mournfully as she clutched at her head. "Papa...it hurts...

She never remembered anything when she was with him. She was calm. At peace. Blissful in her ignorance. But now...the memories were coming back. Bits and pieces; the sweet scent of a rose, the comfort of a warm embrace, tender words whispered in her ear. Beyond that...nothing. She couldn't remember anyone. Anything. These memories were useless to her if she could not remember names and faces or places. Useless! Those memories were worthless to her!

"Who am I?" She cried into her pillow. "Why can't I...remember?"

She stuffed her fist into her mout to stifle her sobs, tearing at her hair in her frustration.

"Who...am I?" she asked the darkness.

_"That's a damned good question."_

Big Sis's breath hitched in her throat. She stole a glance upon the bed in which she sat, her eyes widening as she beheld the soft orange comforter. This wasn't her room, she realized. This was papa's room. They were keeping the bad man here. _The one who hurts the little ones. _He was in the room. Alon with Big Sister.

Her eyes flew wide open.

Instinct took over in a flash; she snapped her fingers and thrust her hand forward the fireball hurtling into the gloom. There was a cry of pained suprise as the deadly missile found its target, punctuated by the sound of a chair-bound body colliding with the tiled floor. Too late she realized: the bad man had been tied up by papa. He couldn't even defend himself, much less run away. Her fingers fumbled for and soon found a light switch shortly thereafter, casting their room out of the darkness and into the light.

"Jay-sus!" The bad man groaned. He twisted his head around to glare at her through his right eye. "Would you _please_ stop flinging fireballs at me, lass? That's not very fair." He flexed his bound arms for emphasis. "Its not as though I can fight back like this."

Big Sister balked.

"Ohmygosh!" She sputtered, speaking in her confusion. "I'm so sorry! didn't mean to...I didn't know...

"Could you help me up?"

"S-Sure!"

Big Sister stepped toward him and froze in midstep.

Why was she talking to this man? Why should she help him, for that matter? He was the one responsible for Alma's...condition. For her own misery. Were it not for him, _she_ would still be papa's favorite. She would still be daddy's little girl. Not Alma. And here she was actually considering helping the one responsible for her sorrow?

_He's the one who hurts us._

The man shrugged.

"You seemed pretty upset."

"Well, I'm not!"

"Oh, but I am."

Big Sister shivered as papa stormed into the room, eyes blazing. His helmet was gone, and for once, she wasn't grateful for it. Red eyes burned like hellfire upon Jack Ryan as he stalked past Big Sister. Before the latter could speak out in defence, a gauntleted fist lashed out at the immobile man. Wrenching his wrist, he hauled Jack, chair and all, to his feet, uncaring for the man's cry of pain. He shot a backward glance at Big Sister.

"I thought I told you to stay out of this room."

"But, papa-

"Enough." He dismissed her with a wave of an armored arm. "We'll talk about this later. Now, go."

"Papa...

The Big Daddy uttered something in german; an oath so foul it set Big Sister's cheeks aflame. Eyes blazing, he cast a forlorn glance into the ceiling, but when next he looked at her, he was calm. He stepped forward, as softly as he could, and took her into his arms. Big Sister wilted into the embrace, pressing her bare face against the riveted armor adjourning his chest. She snifled, quietly refusing to cry. Daddy heaved a heavy sigh as he pushed back and released Big Sister, holding her at arms length.

"Papa will talk with as long as you want, later." He soothed the sister quietly, softly stroking her long, raven hair with a gloved hand. "But right now, you need to be a good girl and watch over the others." He offered an eerie, conspirtatory wink. "Make sure they don't get into too much trouble, okay?" Big Sister nodded at once, happy to be entrusted with such a task. But in her eagerness to obey she mistook the request for something it was not. An order. She wouldn't let this strange new woman corrupt the little sisters with her wily ways! If she thought she could out rescuing little sisters like that...well, she'd just rescue more!

She turned to go, stopped at the threshold.

"Papa...promise we'll talk later?"

"Promise."

"Promise?"

She blinked as a strange, sucking sounding filled the air. Papa had vanished in a haze of red mist, and now he stood before her once again, his face dangerously close. Before she could speak, before she could blink, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead softly. Now Big Sister blinked at this fatherly display of affection.

"D-Daddy?"

"Run along now." He shooed. "Daddy has work to do." She nodded, stealing glances at him as she went. Naruto watched his daughter go with a sigh. Abruptly red and pink tinged his vision, thrusting him into the depth of a memory He remembered. He remembered a walking in the streets. He remembered seeing a girl with long, lustrous black hair bound back in a bow...

"Oi, bloke!" Jack shouted. "Are you going to let me go or not?"

Naruto growled; again with the interruptions! Feigning a smile, he politely turned back toward Jack.

"I see you're awake."

"No thanks to you." Jack spat around a mouthful of congealed blood.

"But Jackie," Naruto grinned. "Today's your lucky day!"

"How's that?"

"Because, after much deliberation, I've decided to help you."

Were it not for the chair, Jack would've fallen over, such was his surprise.

"You're...you're going to help me?"

"First, let me talk to this Atlas fellow." Naruto waved a hand at the radio, summoning it to his palm with a flick of telekinesis. "You remember his frequency, I trust?"

Jack nodded numbly.

It took a few moments of fiddling with the dial, but soon enough, the radio flared to life. After that it was a simple matter of setting it to the right frequency and:

"Where the bloody hell have you been, laddie!" The thick, heavily accented voice of an irishman shouted through the static. "I've been trying to reach you for ages! Nevermind that! Have ya made it Neptune's Bounty, yet boyo? And what's all that noise in the background? Sounds like...a gaggle of giggling girls it does!" Omega's anger peaked. No one talked about his kids like that!

"That is none of your damned business." he seethed into the radio.

"Boyo?" The radio crackled. "Is that you?"

_"Boyo?"_ Omega scoffed. "I ain't no boyo."

The voice on the other end promptly swore a blue streak.

"Cripes...who the hell is this?"

"Tha depends. Is this Atlas?"

"Aye it 'tis!" The voice sounded off. "And who's it that be 'a asking?"

...a friend."

"A friend of mine or a friend o' Andrew Ryan?"

"Neither."

"Fair enough. Tell me, is the kid there?" Then, as if in dread. "Oh bloody hell, you didn't kill him, did you?"

"I'm here, Atlas." Jack grunted. "He's got me tied-

Naruto elbowed him in the face.

"That's not important." He said into the radio. "What is important is this: I've got your 'friend' here with me, and I'm willing to help you. Sound fair?"

"Fine by me! If'n that is you're hoping to get out of this looney bin yourself."

"Something like that, yes." Naruto lied. He had absolutely no intention of leaving Rapture. Not yet. But Atlas didn't need to know that. Let the man think him an ignorant fool, eager to escape the hell that was Andrew Ryan's broken dream. He'd be proven wron soon enough.

"Righto." Atlas answered, blissfully unware of the fact that he was being played.. "But be careful. You've got Ryan's eye now. You won't see him coming, but he'll be there before you know it."

Naruto nodded and switched off the radio, offhandedly tossing his captive a first aid kid. The man was no ue to him if he was half-dead, after all. Untying his captive, he administered the medicinal wonders of Rapture and, within short order, the man was only-lightly-bruised as opposed to his face being one huge purple blotch. Naruto pointed out his weapons to him in thew pneumo tube, but before Jack could reach for his supplies the Big Daddy chuckled softly.

"Alma." Omega called, smirking as his "daughter" appeared at his side.

"Yes, father?"

"We're going out for a bit."

Alma's eyes glittered at Jack.

"Just the three of us?"

Naruto nodded.

Jack balked. Doubtless he recognize the former littler sister, now a grown woman. His reaction, however, was priceless.

"Bloody buggerin' hell!"

Omega gave Jack his most menacing grin as the man sputtered in surprise.

"Ready to head out, Jack?"

**A/N: MWAHAHAHA! NarutoxAnko! Hell in a handbasket! Who's the "other" woman Anko's wondering about? Who knows? You'll just have to wait and see! The next chapter might be up sooner than you think, so be sure to review!**

**Also, as requested by a fan, two more infamous, girls of horror will join us next chapter. Alessa and Cheryl. Alessa Gillespie and Cheryl Mason. As if we didn't have enough of a horrorfest, now Silent Hill is added into the mix! Jack forms a bit of a bond with Big Sister-argh who are you really!-and we see the machinations of Lamb are still very much alive. A bit of romance will pop up next chapter so look forward to it with bated breath as pairings are revealed! But who oh WHO is Big Sister...**

**Now...Review, would you kindly?**

**R&R!=D**


	8. Paradise and Perdition

**A/N: BREAKING NEWS! On the opening night of The Dark Knight Rises there was a shooting in a Colorado movie theater when a man in a gash mask and a kevla vest stormed theater nine through the emergency exit and began shooting people at random. Twelve people were killed and fifty injured. Thankfully, they caught the son of a bitch before he offed himself. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families affected by this horrific tragedy and I hope in the dearest depths of my heart that the one responsible for this massacre never sees the light of day again. EVER.**

**To any of you readers from the Colorado region, I offer you my most sincere of condolences. Always cherish your loved ones. You never know when you may lose them.**

**Also, to FuckingTypo: Really mate? This is FICTION. Reality is meant to be broken. Just let it be and enjoy the story. You don't like it? Drop it. Everyone else seems quite happy with the events of this fic so far. N****ow, would you kindly enjoy this chapter?**

_"Daddy...I miss you."_

_~Eleanor Lamb._

**Paradise and Perdition**

Eleanor Lamb was lonely.

She missed daddy.

Missed him so very dearly.

Vaguely, she recalled the words of the other daddy. Not her daddy, because dear, sweet daddy_-oh how she missed him so!-_didn't speak to her like this one had. This one had spoken to her, whispered soft words of comfort and encouragement.

"Little one...your father will live."

Could there be a way to bring daddy back? He'd been dead such a long time now...

But then mummy took her away and she hadn't been able to ask him how.

_That's it!_ She thought to herself. _The Vita chambers!_

But how could she reach them?

_Maybe..._

And in the back of Eleanor's young mind, the beginnings of a plan began to form. A plan so complex it would take many years to complete, but nevertheless, she was determined to see it through. She woud bring back Daddy. She would tell him of this other, nice daddy, and together, with them, she would find a way to free herself from Rapture. She would have her freedom, and she would meet this other daddy again. No matter if it took days, months, or even years to complete.

Someday, someday soon, she would be free.

* * *

_(Meanwhile)_

_"Das der teufel!"_

Naruto whipped around at the sound of the german impreciation, his fingers closing at the edge of the door. They'd been about to depart for Neptune's Bounty, Alma, Jack and himself, the three of them, but the oath stopped him in his tracks. Tenenbaum was rarely in a foul mood. For her to utter such an oath did not bode well for her or him. Motioning at his daughter he turned back toward the security booth and poked his head inside, lisetning.

He could still hear Anko with his girls, the children giggling softly down the hall. He turned his head, straining for yet another oath and was almost immediately rewarded by a small, defeated sigh. It had come from the opposite direction. Plodding toward the doctor's room, he found Tenenbaum. He also found a little girl sitting on the scientist's lap. It wasn't one of his, a cursory glance quickly confirmed.

"Well now, what have we here?" He mused aloud. "Who, is more likely...

Dark, chestnut brown curls fell in a curtain around her shoulders. Buttery yellow eyes shone up at him imploringly, her small body sheathed in a pale, cotton blue dress. He recognized the little sister at once. She was a little sister alright; the very same one who'd given him that split-second warning before the Big Sister_-Anko-_had attacked. He owed her his life. She waved shyly from her perch, her little legs licking against Tenenbaum and her skirts as she sat in the scientist's lap.

"Oh." Naruto blinked, recognizing her at last. "Its you...erm...just who is she, doc?"

Tenenbaum smiled sadly.

"I have been able to recover a significant number of the case files from my former place of . . . _employment_." She spat out the last word in disgust before regaining her composure. "Her name is Alessa Gillespie. She is, . . . an orphan." The woman's face darkened. "Her mother, Dahlia Gillesipe, was a follower of Sofia Lamb, before she was killed . . . at Dionysus Park."

Omega fought to hold back his smoldering rage. He knew the doctor felt the same way; Sofia Lamb, the woman who thought herself the prophet of her so-called "religion" had nearly brought cold, icy death upon them more than once in the last year. The loss of her experimental commune and cult following could be called a tragedy to most but to them, it was something to be rejoiced. Less members of her cult meant less threats to their growing family. Tenenbaum continued.

"She is strange, this little one. Throughout the tests, despite all the conditioning she received, she never responded to the Big Daddies. Not a once! But! she has never been seeing you...until this day. How she was able to find her way here to us at all, through the many vents of Rapture, is miracle itself." She paused, suddenly fretful. "Also, she has veen asking for you."

"For me?" Naruto asked, aghast at the thought. "She specifically asked for me? By name?"

The scientist fidgeted beneath his scathing glare.

"Not a really...

The Big Daddy hazarded a glance down at little Alessa.

"Daddy?" she asked, reaching up for him.

Naruto mentally smacked his head against the wall. Not again! He had no qualms when it came to raising these girls, but at this rate, his family would soon grow too large for the confines of the ticket booth. Alessa was merely another memeber of the gaggle of girls that he called his own. Exhaling softly, he reached down for his newest charge scooping the girl up as easily as one would, well, a child. Alessa's mournful smile brightened immediately, her teary eyes drying the moment she settled onto his shoulder.

"Daddy!" She cooed softly.

Naruto sighed.

The doctor, noticing Omega's unconscious action, almost imperceptibly widened her smile.

"Actions speak louder than words, my friend. Remember that. Now then, down to business before you are to be leaving."

She thrust her hand into one of her coat pockets and withdrew an old hypo in one fluid motion. It was filled with what looked suspiciously like ordinary, regular water. The metal man gave a scoffing grunt; he was unimpressed. Tenenbaum raised a brow.

"Do not let appearances deceive you, Herr Omega. This, well . . . it will not alleviate the pain completely, but it _should_ be making it possible for you to cure the littles ones . . . without so many of the side effects Alma experienced, yes?" Inwardly, the Big Daddy heaved a sigh of relief as she threaded the syringe into his IV port. The _last_ thing he wanted was to forcibly mature a bunch of little girls into grown women. Like Alma. The thought left him with an odd, burning sensation in his chest. Indeed, Alma was special to him. But the way she'd been looking at him lately, one could only wonder.

**"What, don't you want a harem of grown women?"** the fox interjected. **"Just think of it! Surely that surface wench of yours won't be enough to satisfy you. And with all those women...**

_"Shut up."_

**"Seriously, kid, just think about it. If they're anytthing like Alma...**

_'I SAID SHUT UP!_

Speaking of Alma...

"You did not leave her alone with him, did you?" Tenenbaum accused suddenly. Behind the iron helmet, the Big Daddy balked. He'd been so concerned, he hadn't given the matter a second thought. Now, recalling those violent tendencies with which she'd been imbued, the idea didn't seem so sound.

"Um...maybe?"

Shock flitted across her face, and in that instant, a yelp of surprise could be heard just outside the ticket booth.

"What is this you are waiting for?" The scientist rapped the side of his helmet with an open palm, the gesture ringing hollowly against his head as she pushed him and his charge outside. "Go! Get her! The both of you!"

Omega tossed an impreciation over his shoulder as he plodded toward the door, his attention inevitably drifting to the little sister upon his shoulder. Would Tenenbaum's plasmid work? There

The Big Daddy gently lifted the girl in one massive hand. He held her close to the porthole that constituted his face and Alessa looked up at him, smiling slightly, though clearly confused. Soundlessly, the metal man brought up his free hand, palm glowing softly, and quickly pressed it to her forehead. A bright flash obscured his sight, and the Big Daddy blinked sports from his eyes, careful not to drop his new charge. Eyes finally readjusting, he looked down, expecting to see the form of a little girl...

**"Uh-oh."**

...and silently cursed himself.

"Are you kiding me?"

* * *

_(Meanwhile outside the ticket booth)_

Jack Ryan was having the worst day of his life. _Of his existence._ He'd harvested a little sister, been captured, beaten within an inch of his life, and what did he have to show for it? Fresh scrapes and bruises, that's what he had to show for it, as he found himself shadowed by the same little sister, now grown into a young woman within three hours of her "death"at his hands. That said woman, was looking at him with an eerie smile was almost enough to set his nerves on edge. That he had been left _alone_ with said woman while Omega returned to the ticket booth was enough to outright terrify him.

"Jack."

The man jumped.

"Bloody hell!"

He whipped around half-expecting the find the gauntleted hand of the big daddy on his it was Alma who had spoken, not her brash, brooding father. She stood just behind his shoulder, red eyes fixated on his face. Pinnioning him with a gaze. Arms held behind her back, she graced him with a small smile.

"Did I scare you?" When she spoke her words lilted like the rustling of a spring wind through autumn leaves. Belatedly, he realized the former little sister was now eye-level with him now. Whereas he'd once had to look down to meet her gaze, he found he no longer had to do so. She smiled and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, regarding him intently with that bewitching gaze. It was eerie. Not knowing what else to say a sputtering affirmative left his lips.

"Y-Yes?"

"I wanted to thank you." she said in that same, melodic voice.

"Thank me?" he exclaimed aghast, gawping at her. "Thank me for what?"

"For this."

Alma Wade performed a small twirl then, red dress flaring out around her lithe body. A woman's body, Jack realized as she completed her revolution and came to a stop before him. A body he had no business looking at after what he'd gone and done to her. The mere thought of it evoked a shudder as he re-imagined Omega's wrath.

"You shouldn't be thanking me for that." He shook his head, silently wondering when the Big Daddy would retun. "You really shouldn't."

"But if you hadn't done that to me, I'd never be as close to father as I am now." Alma explained, lost in her own logic. "I'd never have a family, either." She leaned forward with inent, eyes gleaming with the knowledge of the unknown, a knowledge so terrifying it rooted him in place. "So thank you, Jack." She repeated, leaving him with the distinct sensation she was thanking him for something else. "Thank you...for everything you've done for me."

"But what about, you know, him?"

Alma blinked.

"I'll always love father." she said it as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And so will my children." Jack's eyes bulged so large he was certain they'd fall out of his head. He had to blink to make certain they were still there, to make certain he'd heard her correctly. He dug a finger out of his ear, not quite sure what to say. In the end, all he managed as a sputtering yelp:

"Ch-Children?"

Oh, hell. Bloody hell! He hadn't been expecting that! It was one thing to nearly murder a girl, but for her to want to bear his children? Bloody buggerin' hell! He wasn't ready for this! Not at all! Not even a little bit! He'd rather face a horde of splicers than contemplate the possibilites of having sex with an all-powerful psychic woman capable of killing him at any moment! And yet she was looking at him, expectantly so...surely he ought to say something. Anything.

"I...um...ah...

_Nice job, stupid blighter._

"This is all a little sudden...

"Did you think I was talking about _your_ children, Jack?" The question caught him flatfooted. "Did you?" Alma shook her head, spilling raven tresses, down her back. "Of course not. While I appreciate all that you've ever done for me, father's the only man I ever want to be with." Jack was left reeling at her words and only slightly heartbroken. For a moment, a mere moment, he'd thought she'd meant him. Of bearing his children. Alma was beautiful, true, and her words stung, as did the rejection. She wasn't talking about him. She meant Omega.

"Oh, and Jack?"

"Hmmm?"

"If you mention any of this to Father...I'll have to kill you." The look in her eye suggested she'd have no qualms if it ever came down to it. If she were ever forced to choose between his life or that of her precious father choose between her _murderer_ and the man who meant more to her than anything else in the world, she would cast him aside in a heartbeat. It was like a splash of cold water in his face. She might not think of him as a murderer, but it did little to change the fact that, for the briefest of seconds, her heart had stopped beating in his arms. Just as he'd felt something stir in his chest for her, she felt absolutely nothing for him.

"You can't just decide that!"

"Can't I?"

"But what about-

Alma smiled a secretive smile and pushed a finger to her lips and before Jack could press the matter, the muted sound of heavy footfalls reached his ears, weighted boots making the floor shudder with every step. The haunting, echoing melody of a Little Sister's voice met his ears. Jack managed a stuttering gasp as the securis door whirred and heaved itself open automatically revealing Subject Omega and Alessa, her dirty feet little swinging merrilly from her perch upon her papa's shoulder. Was it just him, or did her yellow eyes have the faintest tinge of crimson to them?

The Big Daddy took one look at Jack, noticed his close proximity to Alma, and growled. He didn't need to speak to voice his obvious sentiment; to make it clear he wanted him as far away from his daughter as possibly possible. Jack was happy to comply, taking a swift step backward as the rapturian golem approached, his newest charge eyeing him intently.

"Who's that, daddy?" Alessa asked, pointing a grimy finger at Jack. And her voice! It didn't sound a thing like that of a little sister. If anything it sounded a great deal like a little girl's should. Likewise her er skin merely pale, no longer a ghostly white, bore the faintest tinges of something else. A faint discolortation. She seemed a bit older than the other girls, perhaps nine or ten as opposed to the traditional seven or eight. By why did he feel a chill just by looking at her.

"You may call him Jack." Naruto gestured, his porthole fixating upon him.

"Hello uncle Jack!" Alessa waved, blissfully unaware of the sudden tension in the corridor.

"Is everything alright, father?" Alma asked, staring at the_-cured?-_little sister with obvious intent.

"Everything is...fine."

Alma merely nodded, stepping aside as the Big Daddy stomped toward Jack. Was that the smallest of smiles she wore just now? Jack wasn't quite sure, and to be honest, he found himself...preoccupied as the Lancer loomed before him. Naruto glared bloody red daggers at Jack Ryan. His left hand crackled with sparks, his right, buzzing with swarms of stinging, biting hornets. With porthole blazing a baleful red he stabbed a single finger in the direction of Neptune's Bounty, imperiously indicating the direction he wanted the man to take.

"Start running towards Neptune's Bounty if you want to live, Jack."

"Eh?" Jack, startled by the sudden threat, took a half-step backward.

**"I SAID START RUNNING!"**

Jack Ryan would later remember the chase with vivid, terrifying detail as he found himself setting an uncomfortably brisk pace toward Neptune's Bounty.

**A/N: BEHOLD! Alessa has arrived and poor poor Jack is scared shitless as he leads them to Neptune's bounty. One can only wonder if this new serum will cure the little sisters or make them age in the same fashion as Alma. Naruto's reaction is also something to be remembered. And Alma wan'ts to have his BABIES. 0_0 Didn't see that coming, did you? Big Sis and Anko will crop up a bit in the next chappy, and we'll get to see a much deserved smackdown and butchery of splicers galore. Also, a secret will be revealed...**

**You'll have to read on to find out in the next chappy! Anywho off to work now. AGAIN. Hopefully I'll be able to read your reviews and respond to them in a timely fashion once I get back tonight, so...**

**_"Das der teufel=What the devil!_**

**Now...would you kindly revew?**

**R&R!=D**


	9. Mommy and Daddy

**A/N: BREAKING NEWS! On the opening night of The Dark Knight Rises there was a shooting in a Colorado movie theater when a man in a gash mask and a kevla vest stormed theater nine through the emergency exit and began shooting people at random. Twelve people were killed and fifty injured. Thankfully, they caught the son of a bitch before he offed himself. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families affected by this horrific tragedy and I hope in the dearest depths of my heart that the one responsible for this massacre never sees the light of day again. EVER.**

**To any of you readers from the Colorado region, I offer you my most sincere of condolences. Always cherish your loved ones. You never know when you may lose them.**

**ADDENDUM: JUST IN! THE BASTARD IS GOING AWAY AND TO JAIL! HOO-RAH! MAY YOU ROT THERE FOREVER! DEATH IS TOO GOOD FOR YOU!**

_"Well...damn. Never thought I'd be a mother..."_

_~Mitarashi Anko._

**Mommy and Daddy**

If he hadn't been frightened earlier, Jack Ryan was most certainly terrified now.

_'I'm going to die here.'_ He thought with dread._ 'I'm going to die here, and they'll never find my body..._

Flanked by Omega and his eerie, brooding daughter, he lead them through Rapture, weaving through halls and corridors as they made their way towards Neptune's Bounty. _Woe to the splicer who crosses our path,_ the man thought grimly, hazarding a glance at the flames of _Incinerate _flickering hotly in the Big Daddy's palm. Even death by strangulation was preferrable to the pain of having one's organs kinetically torn from their still breathing body. Well, anything would be a better end than physic implosion, he thought grimly.

Because, just moments before, he'd witnessed the unfortunate demise an unwary spider splicer. He hadn't even time to snap a picture of it!

Alma simply stared at it and the splicer shrieked before exploding into bloodied chunks, showering the trio with gore. It was only _slightly_ disconcerting for dear Jack when said woman promptly nuzzled her head against the neck of her proud 'parent' and asked what they'd thought of the spectacle.

"Boom!" Alessa had chirruped happily.

Aaaaaand then there was the matter of the little girl riding on Omega's shoulder. They'd stopped for several gathers along the way, and Jack had come to witness the Big Daddy's fury firsthand. Whenever a splicer tried to touch her, whenever he came to near, he promptly found himself impaled upon the Lancer's drill, or reduced to burning cinders by the Ion Laser. And those, were the lucky ones. He could still hear the screams of the precious few who'd found themselves on the receving end of _Alma's_ wrath; beset by their worst nightmares made flesh and still others, reduced to rag dolls by the silent yet deadly eddies of Telekineses.

Throughout it all, little Alessa didn't so much as bat an eyelash. Made blissful and cotnent by the constant prescence of her proud papa, they were able to comple _seven_ successful Gathers, before they finally found their way into the briny depths of Neptune's Bounty. Jack gave his EVE level a percursory glance, the Big Daddy had only sparingly shared some of the ADAM with him. He had the succint feeling that, were it not for Alma he would've received little or none at all. Perhaps he could

Alessa Gillespie smiled and waved a dainty hand in his direction.

"Are we almos there, Uncle Jack?"

He could _feel_ Omega's gaze, boring into his back.

"A-Almost." He gulped as rapturian golem plodded along behind him. "We should be there soon-

The Big Daddy grunted and prodded Jack with the butt of his rifle, effectively ending their conversation.

"Keep moving." he warned. "And keep taking those bloody pictures."

Jack fumbled with the research camera a moment longer before finally figuring how to shut the damned thing off. Grumbling to himself and cursing his luck, he stalked off after the unlikely trio. Peach wasn't going to let them into the fisheries unless they took multiple snapshots of those damned spider splicers. Limy bastard. He supposed they should be grateful. The man had nearly refused them passage altogether when he saw Alma and Omega standing behind thee viewport.

What else could possibly await them in this house of horrors?

As luck would have it, he soon found out; because a Little Sister's voice echoed off the transparent walls.

* * *

"You are being kind to the little ones, yes?"

Mitatarashi Anko hazarded a glance over her shoulder and bit her tongue for what must've been the upteenth time. Masha looked up as well from were she sat in the woman's lap, her inquisitive amber eyes regarding Tenenbaum with idle curiousity. The scientist hovered over them like a fretful mother hen, always certain to make sure that the girls were cared for; that they wanted for nothing. Anko sympathized. What was it about these golden-eyes little girls that endeared her to them so? What was it about them left her willing to throw her life away in their defense? Why did she feel so protective towards them? Why did their safety superceed her own?

And why oh why did this insufferable woman keep pestering her?!

Anko glared bloody red daggers at the scientist.

"Ask me that one more time and I'll cut out your tongue and feed it to the spilcers." The venom in her voice left no doubt as to her intentions. "Do we have an understanding?" The german scientist nodded, but it was then that she smiled, and it was a strange smile at that. Almost as if she were...amused?

"Und I am beginning to see why you vere engaged to Herr Omega." she said.

Anko bristled.

"And why's that?"

"You are being nearly as terrifying as him!"

"No shit?" Anko guffawed. "You think the kid's that scary?"

"I am not shitting you!" The scientist insisted sternly. "Herr Omega is unstoppable where safety of the little ones is concerned." She shot the violet-haired woman a disapproving stare. "You are lucky that he did not kill you for endangering him."

Despite her ire the former kunoichi couldn't quite help herself nor the smile that quirked her lips. Naruto? _Scary?_ She'd only ever seen that side of him when she'd eaten his ramen. Beyond that, the mere thought of the blond being _terrifying_ escaped her. Then again, _anyone_ could be scary when you rearranged their genetic structure; spliced them up with a couple hundred plasmid and gene tonics, rigged them up in a metal diving suit and trapped them at the bottom of the sea with hundreds of psycohtic sociopaths. That'd be enough to make even _her_ a little cranky.

And yet...

Briefly, she recalled the warmth that flitted across his face when he was with the girls; the milk of human kindness as he held the little sisters in his arms and allowed them to clamor over him. That, was the old Naruto, the one she'd come to know and love. The one she would've married, had fate not intervened. Maybe...just maybe...there was a glimmer of him left yet. Something she could preserve. Something she could save. Those little girls were the key to it, she was certain. If he wanted to save them so badly...surely he wouldn't mind a little help?

"Is something wrong?"

Anko shook her head; because her resolve had been tempered, forged into steel.

"Just thinking."

"About Herr Omega?"

Her cheeks burnishing beneath a blush, Anko nodded.

"Daddy's big and strong!" Masha supplied.

Anko suppressed a smile.

_Kid, you have no idea..._

But she said none of these things, none of them as she ushered Masha off her lap and into her amrs.

"Alright you, time for bed."

"Bu Moooooommy," The child whined. "I don't wanna go to bed yet!"

* * *

Jack swore virulently.

"Jay-sus!" He hissed, twisting around at the sound of the little sister's voice. "Where did she come from?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Naruto frowned. "It's none of our business."

Alma's expression was inscrutable.

"Maybe it should be."

"What?"

She trailed after the sound, rounding the bend without another word. Exchanging a glance, the unlikely pair followed after her. She was standing just around the corner, still as a statue, eyes riveted ahead. Naruto saw what tugged at her attention, and a sigh trickled through his porthole. She wanted him to take the little sister and kill her protector. She wanted him to break the cardinal rule to which he'd held himself for so very very long now. And it tore at his hearstrings to see his eldest daugther in such sorrow.

"Alma...

"Father," She pleaded, "Please. For me?"

Omega paused for a moment, torn. In the end, she won out.

"Very well."

The first of the remaining sisters was here, but that meant her Protector was as well. The walkway turned sharply ahead of them, and rounding the bend, Omega found his mark. A dirty little girl, was leading a Bouncer down the hall, the massive drill and dome shaped helmet with its many portholes dominating the Big Daddy's form. The door was a only few yards ahead, and the distance was gradually being closed. The Granddaddy's hand twitched, and in an instance a layer of frost coated it. He brought out his Machine Gun, loading in a box of armor piercing rounds. They would finish this quickly.

"Alma." He grunted. "Keep an eye out for splicers. Jack." his gaze slid to the man. "You're with me."

For a moment it looked as though the young man would contest her decision. Finally he nodded.

"Looks like I don't have much of a choice."

"No_...YOU DON'T!"_

With a roar, the Lancer opended fire, sending a stream of hot leaden death towards the back of the Bouncer. A pained, metallic grunt emanated out from the bubble like head of his opponent, as the Bouncer whipped around and revved his drill, preparing to charge at the fiend who had dared come near his Little Sister. Omega paused his volley only to lob a blast of ice at the Bouncer, freezing it in place with a white sheen coating the creature's whole body. Even as he reloaded Jack opened fire alongside him, slowly stepping forward as the tommy gun thrashed wildly in his grip. The ice soon shattered leaving only a stunned Bouncer to soak up their rounds. The beast had had enough. With a final groan it toppled like a rusty metal tree, crashing to the floor. Omega ceased fire and reloaded, watching as the Little sister, who had pressed herself up against the wall curled up in a ball through the entirety of the brief exchange, leapt to her feet and rushed over the body of her Protector.

Loud, heaving sobs and fat tears poured out from her face as Omega stepped forward, with Jack close behind. Together they walked over to her side, and she turned to look up at them. Golden eyes widened in aw as she beheld him, but that was where it ended. Any relief she might have felt at the sight of the Big Daddy evaporated the moment she saw Jack standing behind him.

"No!" She screamed, scrabbling backwards, golden eyes wide with terror. "Not him! He hurts!"

Jack cringed, flinched as though he'd been struck. But he recovered just as quickly.

"I'm not going to hurt you." he explained, stepping around Omega and toward the little sister. "I promise. Just-

Before Omega could stop him, Jack reached down for the little sister and scooped her up, ignoring her screams of protest as he held her close. The Big Daddy bristled visibly, his porthole gleaming a volcanic red. Before he could step forward however, before he could tear the man limb from limb, a tiny hand placed itself against his porthole.

"Daddy," Alessa whispered softly, laying her hand to res against his helmeted head. "Wait."

Naruto was not inclined to do so, not as the little sister had an absolute fit.

"No! She wailed loudly, thrashing about in Jack's arms as he reached a tentative hand for her face. "No, no!"

But even as he held her, her cries quieted.

White veins scrawled across Jack's flesh, beating in time with his heart. Flowing from him and into the little one cradled in his arms. Her head lolled back loosely as the energies spread through her and reached her neck and spread to her face, to which he lowered his hand in turn to cradle her little head. There was a blinding flash of white light and then...

"Thank you, mister."

Naruto guffawed.

_The little sister had been cured._

Her dress was still filthy and her hair was matted with grease, but her skin was now merely pale, as opposed to the pallied grey flesh all little sisters wore. Brown eyes shone up at him with a mix of awe and disbelief, a disbelief Omega empahtized with. She was cured. Freed of her ADAM-crazed madness. Alessa looked in disbelief alongside her father, mouth openin a roud O.

"What's your name, honey?" Jack asked.

"S-Sarah."

"Well then, Sarah," He smiled as he held her up. "Are you angry with me?"

The little girl shook her head.

Jack heaved a sigh of relief.

"Alright then." He cast a nervous glance toward Nauto, then stepped toward a vent. "I'm going to pick you up now." She nodded gravely, reaching for him. With a grunt, he hoisted the former little sister high an helped her inside, using the engravings as handholds. She cast an earnest backward glance at him and whispered three words before she vanished into the darkness.

"Thank you. . .daddy."

Jack nearly fell over.

"D-Daddy?"

Naruto shook his head. He still didn't trust Jacket. But perhaps the man wasn't so iredeemable as he'd first assumed.

"Keep moving. He grumbled. "The sooner we get you out of Rapture, the better."

Jack wore an odd expression at that.

Ignoring him, the Big Daddy stepped toward the door, which wirred open.

Blue eyes bulged.

_"Son of a bitch!"_

A terrified young woman stood behind the securis door, shaking in the cold darkness. She was covered in so much blood, it took him a second to recognize her. That jet black hair. The pale skin. Those soft glowing eyes fixed upon him with utter adoration. Jack peered around the massive man's shoulder to see what was the matter and promptly yelped. Alma blinked. Naruto's reaction was neither. He stepped toward, the distraught girl in a state of utter disbelief. She mumbled something.

"Papa...

"You?" Naruto guffawed. What was she doing here?! She should've been with Anko! So why was she-

"Papa," She said in a quavering voice. "I remember."

Dread struck the Big Daddy like a frozen fist in the gut. Whatever else he might've said was instantly forgotten.

"R-Remember what?"

The Big Sister smiled, and the gesture was warm as lava glow.

_"My name."_

**A/N: DUN-DUN-DUN! Big Sister has remembered her name! But WHO is she? Is she some random OC i've inserted into this fic for mere entertainment or is she...? She will finally be revealed as of Next chapter, so feel free to guess! Ya, I know, short chappy and all but the next one will be surpremely long, so I felt the need to get the filler material out of the way and...JACK SAVED HIS VERY FIRST LITTLE SISTER! Yay! I knew you had it in you, Jackie! I'd elaborate more, but sadly, I am off to work now. I look forward to reading your thoughts and opinions in the review dear reader so would...you...**

**...would you kindly revew?**

**R&R!=D**


	10. Identity

**A/N: Wow. Nearly Three Hundred reviews and I'm not even at the twentieth chapter yet! I'm so glad all of you are enjoying this story! Honestly, I myself never thought HALF of the elements I chose would mesh together as flawlessly as they have. I mean, who would've thought to put Alessa and Alma in Rapture?! The idea was pure crack at the time, but I'm absolutely thrilled by the fact that all you seem to love them-and the little sisters-so very dearly. Now, I promised ya'll a new chapter and the identity of the Big Sister, didn't I? Well...**

**...here we go! Also, a fair warning. Alma is VERY scary in this chapter. There. That's the disclaimer! If you're not a fan of blood and gore, don't read! On the positive side, there IS a bit of romance and fluff-bloody fluff!-in this chapter...**

_"My name...my name! Papa, I know who I am now!"_

_~Big Sister._

**Identity**

_"My name."_

Big Sister's words hung in the air the split second before the girl rushed him. Naruto grunted in surprise as the teenaged girl pushed past the others, amber eyes shining with fresh tears. Intent on him, focused solely upon him, she launched herself towards her father arms slamming against his metal back with enough force to momentarily stagger him. She was covered in blood, he realized. Sopping from head to toe, the blood of Peach and his men wreathing her lithe frame. He hazarded a glance over her shoulder. Dozens of bodies lay scattered in the fishery beyond; some horribly mutilated, some burnt to cinders and still others left to hang upon the hooks lining the walls, thrust thus by the deadly powers of telikinesis.

Idly, he wondered how one girl could cause chaos, only to rebuke himself. Big Sister's could be _horrifically_ single-minded when in pursuit of their goal. And doubtless, he had been her goal. These men had let her into their den thinking her easy prey, perhaps expecting a good time; blissfully unware that they'd invited the instrument of their own destruction. He saw the tear in her silk white dress where they'd laid hands on her, an inexcusable attempt to steal her innocence. A blistering ember of rage wormed its way through his gut. If Peach and his men weren't already dead, he'd have killed them himself!

**"Aaaaw, aren't we being overprotective?"**

_'Shut up!"_

"Papa." Big Sister whispered eagerly, bouncing on the balls of her feet, tugging at his armored wrist. "Papa!" Bemused by her behavior, the Big Daddy rewarded her with his attention. She seemed so damned _happy_ for what felt like the first time in a long time, moreso than he'd ever seen. "Can I tell you my name? Can I?" She was like a little girl in a candy shop, her hands pawing at his helmet, fumbling with the clasps. She wanteed to see his face. He aqueisced gladly, reaching an overlarge hand up to assist.

_"Hanabi."_ She whispered, pulling away to look up at him with wide, overlarge eyes. "Papa, my name is Hanabi."

The helmet crashed to the ground at Naruto's feet with a hollow clang. He didn't even bother to pick it up.

"Ha-nabi?" He repeated, rolling the name around on his tongue. Tasting it. Why did it sound so blasted familiar? Unbidden another memory pounced upon him. _Laughter._ A child's laughter. Holding her hand, leading her through crowded streets, carrying her on his shoulders when the crush of people grew too thick. Young, pale yet bright-eyed little girl. Confident, outspoken, younger sister to_...to whom?_ He felt it was terribly important that he recall the name. That he remember. He struggled to remember, grasping at it, but the memory moved on. Ushering her inside, when it rained. Bandaging a bruised knee. Tucking her in at night. Reading a story to her, a bedtime story, until she fell asleep. Every image showed him in an ancillary role, acting as a parent would, but he knew she was not his child.

He simply knew and the thought filled him with self-loathing. The face he saw in his memories was hers, however. Just as the Big Sister was she, aged ten years, to the day. Honestly he didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Hanabi was someone important to him, he knew that much but she _still_ wasn't the woman he'd seen in his vision. She was not the gorgeous goddess he'd seen while he hovered between life and death during his battle with Anko. A low growl of frustration tore its way up his throat and he carefully suppressed it.

"Hanabi." he said it slowly, waiting for her inevitable reaction. "That's your name." She nodded, a swift jerky bob that sent her hair lolling to the side. Her hands reached up to cup his face. She stared into his eyes with intent, those pale, amber orbs peering back at him meaningfully.

"I'm so glad I remembered, Papa." she beamed.

And then she kissed him.

Naruto wasn't so much startled as he was shocked. He'd forgotten just how it felt to be kissed in the last decade. He'd been trapped inside this suit, after all. He'd hadn't bothered to give the female form any thought at least not until he'd re-discovered his past relationship with Anko. Even then, such thoughts were fleeting. He just wanted to keep his family safe, out of the hands of Andrew Ryan and Sofia Lamb. And now a member of that family was kissing him. Soft, shy, tentative kisses; bespoken of an innocence somehow not yet sullied by the foul contraption that was Rapture.

Shock was uppermost, however, and he pushed her away.

If she was offended by the sudden rejection, the newly named sister certainly didn't show it. Alma did. He could _feel_ the elder sister's disbeief; it was a palpable air of disbelief and hurt. He simply didn't know whether it was directed at him or Hanabi, not yet. All that changed the moment she _shoved_ Alma into his arms and pushed past them. Surprised by the sudden act, Naruto risked a glance down at her. What he saw there stole his breath away. She was crying. If not, she remained dangerously close. Hot tears gleamed in those eerie red orbs and she refused to so much as look at him even as he accepted the little sister. Strong arms steadied the startled little one; before she could cry out, he'd swung her up onto his shoulder with nary an effort. She giggled as though bemused by the sudden strife, leaned forward to speak into his ear, blissfully unaware of their audience and prying eyes.

"Daddy," She whispered conspiratorilly, "Alma-chan isn't happy."

Naruto watched his eldest storm down the bend and resisted the urge to clomp after her. Something told him she'd be needing the space for awhile yet. But why the hell was she so angry to begin with? He hadn't done anything wrong! A small frown marred his lips. This all felt very familiar somehow.

**"Figure that out yourself, did you?" **Kurama deadpanned.

_'Hush!'_

If Hanabi was aware of their inner arguement, she didn't seem to notice.

"Papa," she cooed, nuzzling her cheek against his neck. "I'm so happy. We can be together again." Naruto restrained another sigh and shook his head. Honestly, the girl was like a lost puppy sometimes. Alright, all the time. He couldn't count the number of times he'd returned from some excursion or another to find her waiting for him at the door. Always eager to see him, always willing to talk. She shared a bond with him, forged by memories of a life he couldn't quite remember. Alma held no such claim to him, yet he could see that Hanabi's act had doubtless upset her. But he didn't understand! Why would she be so upset? Unless...

"You're a right bloomin' _idiot_ you know that?"

The Big Daddy swung around, glaring bloody red daggers at Jack Ryan. He'd held his tongue until now, but it seemed he'd finally found his voice at last. Oddly enough, the little man did not quail beneath his gaze. Not this time. Instead, his eyes blazed high with fire; the righteous flames of indignation were only fanned by the daddy's confused reply.

"What the _hell_ did you just call me?"

Jack stabbed a finger into the blonde's armored chest, uncaring for the towering titan's growl of annoyance.

"She cares about you!" he sputtered out, his eyes cutting accusingly at Hanabi. "And you let your lass go and do that right in front of her eyes!"

Naruto carefully shut down all emotion. He reached down to reclaim his helmet, securing the metal facade over his face once more. Only then when his face was hidden from the world once more, did he finally allow the shock to explode across his visage. Alma cared about him? Well, he'd known that but cared? _Oh bloody buggerin' hell!_ he cursed himself to a watery grave. _What have I done?_

**"Other than make an ass of yourself?"**

_'Gods, you're insufferable!'_

"We move when _I_ say we move, Jack. Not a moment sooner." He gently proffered Alessa to Hanabi; the Big Sister accepted her charge with an innocuous smile. The little sister chirruped happily _delighted_ to be reunited with her _big sis_ once again. Naruto gently mussed her hair with a gloved hand, a smile blossoming across his face as she turned her cheek into the armored palm. Satisfied, that Alessa was indeed in good hand, he took a good, long hard look at the one responsible for his predicament.

"Stay here, Jack." Naruto growled. "If I catch you following me..." his words left little to the imagination. "Well, you'd better hope I don't catch you."

The man quailed beneath his gaze, his brief bout of courage leaving him.

"R-Right then." He swallowed, his eyes shifting nervously toward Hanabi and Alessa as their Big Dady clomped on ahead. He laid himself against the nearest bulhead, forcing himsef to close his eyes and get a little shut eye while the sister of rapture stood guard over him. "I'll be right here." He yawned, surprised when sleep swiftly came to claim him.

"Not following.."

* * *

Alma studiously ignored the ice numbing her feet as she walked through the frozen halls of Neptune's Bounty. She wanted to kill something. Anything, just to forget this aweful pain inside her chest. No amount of anger could snuff it out; nay, her sudden sorrow only incensed her own grief. How could he? She wanted to tear out her own beating heart. _Father was hers._ And hers alone. He belonged to her. _No one else!_ She lashed out at one of the many bodies in her fury; a telikinetic burst wrenching the rigid corpse from its final wresting place amidst crates of fish and smuggled goods.

A stray thought summoned the cadaver to her side, leavng it dangling lifelessly before Alma; lolling in the air like a puppet cut from its strings. Idly, Alma noticed the gaping hole where his loins ought to have been. The end he'd suffered had been slow and painful. And now in death, she defamed his corpse. The thoughtdidn't disturb Alma anywhere near as much as it should have. She raised a hand and drew back fingers clenched taut and firm, formed into point. The smallest of smiles danced across her lips.

And then she struck.

She stabbed her finger into its gut, savoring the wet squelching sound as pale fingers pierced through frozen flesh and into the dead organs beneath. Crimson leapt forth from the wound, spurting arterial spatter across her face. She grimaced as some of it entered her mouth, forcing her to inadvertantly swallow.

_Yuck!_

The ADAM rich blood left a tangy taste against her tongue; the forbidden fruit promising her power, sweet glorious power, but not without cost. She spat the stuff out. She'd enough ADAM in her blood already. But their thoughts were her own, the last memories of the body trickling through her mind, showing her its last sights. This one had tried to touch Hanabi after they'd let her inside. His name was Peach Wiilkins. He'd made those the fate of his boys look tame in comparison; his end came as Hanabi wrested the shotgun from his fumbling fingers, pressed it against his groin, and pulled the trigger.

Unbidden, she felt a small trickle of pride for her sister. Immediately followed by rage. Bitch! Slut! _Whore!_ How **dare** she kiss father! HOW DARE SHE! Shrieking her fury Alma stabbed the corpse over and over _and over again_ uncaring as she stained the dress Mama Tenenbaum had so graciously given her. She lost herself in the blood and the fury, repeatedly driving her hands into supple flesh until she could no longer see through the haze of scarlet gore. She did not think to stop, even when her feet were covered in crimson.

"Alma?"

A voice jerked her out of the blood rage.

She spun, nearly slipping in the puddle of Peach's blood. A flick of her mind sent the eviscerated body shooting into the nearest corner, but she couldn't have cared less for its fate.

_"Father?"_

Naruto stood there, resplendent in full armor, his helmeted head betraying nothing but silence. Alma wanted nothing more than to run to him, have him take her in his arms. Desire tugged at her, straining like an eager dog at her leash but she again brought it to heel. Now was not the time. Father was hers, and hers alone. _He would be hers._ She refused to share him. Save perhaps with that Anko woman, assuming she proved herself worthy in her eyes. Everything else could wait until then. Everything else would wait.

"Damnit, Alma." A hollow sigh echoed through the helmet, filling her with shame. "I knew you were angry, but this-

"What am I to you, father?" she asked as he approached, each footstep causing the ground to quiver beneath her feet. She had to know!

Naruto pasued, contemplating.

"You're precious to me." he said, and the words were so soft Alma scarcely heard them. But she did hear them, and her cheeks flushed with color.

"And her?"

"I...don't know yet." He admitted, coming to a half only a few feet away. "I'm not even sure if I remember everything about Hanabi yet. But she's important to me, too. So please, don't be too angry with her."

Alma hung her head and sulked, petulant. That wasn't enough!

"Father, I-

"Come here, Alma."

Startled, Alma stood rooted in place, tears clinging to the ends of her lashes like dew on a leaf.

"Father?"

_"Come here."_ His words left no room for disobedience and so, she obeyed.

She stepped up to him in a series of slow steps, her hair snaking out like a cobra ready to pounce upon its prey. She reached to his helmet and removed it. Laid it upon the frozen floor reverently, as though the very act itself were a sacred ritual. She laid her gore-soaked palms upon him, tracing bloody fingertips across his whiskered cheeks and he allowed her to touch him. Savoring in the feel of his face beneath her hands, she pulled him closer. Closer still, until she was embracing him. His arms wrapped around her waist and she drank deep of his scent and wanted to weep.

Strong. Stoic. Stern. He was all this to her and more. She loved, him, not just because he was father but because he was _hers._ A sudden shiver shot down Alma's spine; sending sparks of want and need, skittering back and forth and across her skin. She didn't care if she was covered in blood, if it clung to her skin like yesterday's filth. She wanted him. She wanted him so badly, it hurt just to think about it. Hanabi's actions had shaken something in her, rattled her simple-minded beliefs of having him all to herself. Alma didn't want to share. She wanted to have him all to herelf every day every moment every second-_oh damnitall to hell!_

Her lips sought his with such urgency _such desire_ she staggered him. Her tongue danced in his mouth a mere moment before the Big Daddy recoiled, eyes bulging in surprise. Alma jerked back as if she'd been _burned._ Oh no! She'd hurt him! Upset him! Shamefaced by her action she turned aside, unable to believe what she'd just done. His hand, gloved fingers pressing ever so gently beneath her chin, brought her face back to meet his. What? What was he doing? What was he-oooh. Her lower lip trembled uncharacteristically as he leaned into her, pressing his lips against hers. Her heart and her soul threatened to burst as he pulled away. A small, tentative whimper fed from her mouth, a cry of want and need. Her eyes flicked to his face, his eyes, his lips. She wanted _so_ badly to kiss him again, just as she wanted his children. But a thorn of fear pricked her, and held her back. How could she tell him she wanted to bear his children? That she'd forseen such an event; bright eyed, raven haired children, playing at their feet? And then there was the matter of her sons_...no!_ No she couldn't tell him about. Not yet.

Mistaking her fear for hesitation, he pressed his lips into her again and she shivered, this time with arousal.

"Alma...its alright."

Alma wanted to weep, and this time, they were tears of joy. She shoved him. Hard. His metal back greeted the frigid walls of Fontaine Fisheries with a solid thunk, and then she was upon him. Her mouth closed around his with gusto, her tongue licking at his lips, asking-demanding-that he grant her entry. He granted it, his hands dipping past her waist. Lower...lower...

She sighed in delight.

"Oh...father...

* * *

_Would you kindly..._

Jack jerked back to wakefulness as the sound of booted footsteps came clomping down the hall. Memories came back to him slowly, trickling through the haze of wakefulness. He scrubbed at his eyes with the back of a hand, and suddenly realized his twin sentries were nowhere to be seen. Checking his guns-making sure they hadn't rifle through his ammo-he pulled himself up off the floor and headed in the direction of their delighted cries. Brown eyes bulged in surprise as a curtain of raven hair flashed in his peripheal vision. Alma? He'd half-expected her to come flying around the corner in a fit of rage.

Far from it.

Naruto calmy came around the corner, his armour only slightly frosted from his stay in the freezer. Alma walked step in step with him, but that wasn't the worst of it. She was clinging to him, her hands wrapped around his left arm like some shy school-girl, her pale cheeks unusually flushed with color. It didn't take him long to put two and two together.

_"Papa/Daddy!"_ Hanabi and Alma's enthused cries overwhelmed Jack; they very nearly trampled him in their haste to reach their precious parent.

"Oof!" The Big Daddy grunted in surprise as Alessa glommed his leg_-the only part of him she could reach-_while Hanabi promptly laid claim to his right arm. Alma glared bloody red daggers at the Big Sister for her action but a dissapproving growl from Rapture's finest seemed to quell her anger somewhat. Disentangling himself from his "children" Naruto's helmeted head turnd toward Jack Ryan once more.

"Sleeping on the job, Jack?" he accused, his voice thick with false kindness.

Jack wilted beneath the rebuke. Their was no use denying it.

_You really hate me, don't you?_

"Well, at least we can move. now-

Naruto cut him off with a curt gesture.

"Not quite."

"Huh?"

His gaze slid to Hanabi.

"She needs to suit up."

* * *

Several minutes late, Hanabi's Big Sister suit arrived through the pneumo, and within minutes, she was armed to the teeth. One couldn't help but notice Jack's expression of utter terror as he beheld the two Rapturian Golems. The Big Daddy took a certain sick pleasure in the man's discomfort. Hanabi was no mere girl. She was _his_ girl. Knowing her name changed little; he merely had something to call her now. Armed and armored, the ragtag group opened the iron door leading to Neptune's Bounty and continued their journey.

Wading through the frozen freezer once more and ignoring Jack's mumbling of discomfort at the cold, they approached what looked to be an impentrable wall of solid ice. Jack was just about to comment on the unlikely hood of sucha thing when Naruto snapped his fingers and the walls of ice melted away, revealing the hidden door beyond. Smug with satisfaction, he allowed Jack to lead the way, preferring instead the company of his family, to the newest addition of the Rapture household.

"You got it!" Atlas's voice crowed through the radio. "Should be smooth sailing from here. I'll meet you up ahead!"

Naruto grunted as they came down the catwalk. He could see the submarine, bobbing too and fro in the pool ahead.

"I'm right outside the submarine bay, but I can't get in." The irishman's accent trailed across the frequency." I'll need you for that." The eagerness in his words was so thick it was practically palpable. "My family can't be more than a hundred yards away! We're almost home free!" Naruto and Alma exchanged a significant glance. Neither had any intention of leaving Rapture. Shouldering Alessa,they continued onward, down into the depths of Neptune's Bounty.

"Hit the switch up there in the control booth, and let me in." Atlas said. "I think its time to shake hands and get acquainted." Naruto waved Jack forward. He wanted to insepect the submarine, make sure it was indeed seaworthy as Atlas had claimed. Jack headed toward the booth, as per instructed. As Naruto plodded toward his destination however, a sharp squeal of static entered his ears, accompanied by a most hated voice.

"You've had your fun, children, but enough is enough..." The words of Andrew Ryan hissed out at them. "If you press that button you'll _learn_ what it means to truly be my enemy."

Hanabi glanced at him, the amber light of her porthole masking whatever expression she might have worn. It did nothing, however, to mask the fear in her words. He did his best to restrain a rueful chuckle. Ryan must be a fool to think he could eliminate them. Alessa whimpered.

"Papa?" Hanabi whispered as the door began to open. "I'm scared."

Naruto raised his shotgun. If a fight was coming...

...but no fight came.

The grate slid open and a man in his mid-to-late thirties stepped out. His eyes swept the room with confidence, bordering on arrogance. All that changed the moment he laid eyes on them. Eyes bulging large enough to fall out of his head, he spat an expletitive and raised his pistol. Even as he pulled the trigger, two things happened at once. Alma's eyes flickered and suddenly, he was without a gun. At the same time, Naruto raised _his_ hand, and gout of flame struck the floor at the man's feet, neatly singing his shoes. Even as he stumbled backwards Hanabi was there. With strength surprsing for a simple seventeen-year old she tackled him, thrusting her needle at his jugular like a lightning bolt.

_"Hanabi!"_

She froze, hovering, inches from his throat. Another inch, and he'd be gone.

"Mary mother a' god!" The man exclaimed in an irish accent, attempting to cross himself. "What the devil are-" A hiss from Hanabi forced him to reconsider the action. "Call her off!" He begged. "For the love of god, _call her off!"_

So this, then, was Atlas.

Naruto did his best not to laugh.

"You shot at us, if I recall."

"Bad man!" Alessa echoed her father.

"I'm sorry!" He pleaded. "Wasn't expecting ya t' be dressed like one a' them big lugs!"

**"Oooh, no he didn't."**

_'I'm afraid he did.'_

Naruto bristled, the humour draining from his face beneath the helmet.

"I happen to be one these big lugs, friend." he hissed, loading a pair of shells into his shotgun.

Atlas turned white as a sheet.

"I-Is that so?" He struggled to rise, but Hanabi's needle prevented him from rising more than an inch. "Well I'll be." He grimaced as Hanabi hissed anew, presenting him with the full view of her blazing red porthole. She really, really didn't like this man. Something about him was wrong. Terribly, horribly wrong.

"Begging ya pardon, but could ya let me up?" Atlas begged, unaware of the sister's musings.

She complied, albeit reluctantly. Naruto tossed the man back his revolver. It wouldn't do to have an ally unarmed now, would it? But being armed seemed to be the least of Atlas's concerns. He was stariing at Alma now as though just seeing the young woman for the first time. He eyed the recalcitrant woman with open lust and, perhaps, just a touch of fear.

"Who's the lass?" he asked, glancing at the blood on her hands.

Alma smiled sweetly, seductively. Knowingly. As if she knew some great, terrible secret.

"Hello...Atlas."

His desire curbed, the irishman shivered and averted his gaze, clutching at the radio.

"Ya... keep some pretty strange company these days, boyo." he mumbled.

Jack's reply was choked by static.

"..been a...ng day...At...las..

And then the lights in the booth went dark.

_Uh-oh._

"You blow a fuse up there?" Atlas shouted, up toward where Jack surely must be. "Can't see a damned thing in that booth. Give me a tick, and I'll get you out of there." Lowering his revolver, the irishman brought both his attention and his aim toward the sub. "Maira! Can you hear me in there, darling?" When no sound was immediately forthcoming, he began to fiddle with a nearby console. That was when the distinctive clack-clack-clack of spider splicers reached their ears.

Alma's gaze drifted toward the ceiling.

"Father...

Andrew Ryan's voice drifted through the radio.

"So dark in here...if only your friends could see you...if only you could warn them...

Naruto barely heard the rest of the transmission; because the submarine chose that moment to explode.

Fire and flame blossomed outward, lifting the Big Daddy from his feet. His back greeted the metal wall with an audbile thunk. Screams filled the air rending at his ears in an eeriecacophony of despair and terror. At that moment Naruto wanted nothing more than to lay down and die. His suit had saved him from the worst of the shrapnel but his body throbbed in planitive protest nonetheless, his muscles howling as he picked himself up off the floor. Red tinged his vision, quelled only by the familiar squelching sound of medkits and eve flowing through his veins.

"Son of a-

Spitting curses nearly venemous enough to imprint themselves into metal halls, the rapturian golem staggered to his feet. He hazarded a glance over his shoulder in search of his charges; Alessa was whimpering softly in the arms of Alma, frightened, but unharmed. The elder sister bore a blood gash across her cheek, but the damage seemed purely cosmetic. Even as he registered her concern on she hurried to his side, crimson eyes fraught with barely contained anger and perhaps, just a touch of fear.

"Father," She began, nervously shifting Aless to the opposite arm, "Where is-

Naruto froze. Jack and Atlas were nowhere to be seen. He couldn't care less about that. But _she_ wasn't anywhere to be seen either.

_No!_

Momentum at his back, fear and doubt thundering like a freight train straight at him, the Big Daddy flung himself toward the oncoming the crush of splicers, his palms spitting lightning. Many met their end beneath the storm's wrath frozen by the painful arcs of electricity long enough to meet the business end of his drill; the deadly melee weapon tearing gaping holes, in their bodies, their still cooling corpses, flung aside before they'd even drawn their last breath.

Such was his rage, he scarcely noticed when Jack hurtled past his vision, clutching at a bloodied right arm. The man was running full tilt as if the hounds of hell themselves were hot on his heels. And in essence hounds were at his heels Naruto realized, as he saw the sheer number of Leadheads and Thuggish splicers clamoring after him in pursuit. But Hanabi! Where was Hanabi-

_Ping!_

Naruto yowled in surprise as a stream of leaden death coursed into his suit. Armor-piercing rounds! Snarling, he turned his attention toward the attacker, just in time for a fireball to whisk over his head. He watched the flaming sphere fly straight and true, striking the splicer dead in the chest...

...only for his body to topple toward a nearby barrel of oil. Naruto swore as the explosion rushed toward him, far too fast to avoid.

**"This is going to hurt, isn't it?"** Kurama sighed as they flew backwards with all the momentum of a canonball. **"Ah, hell. Of course it is. Brace for impact!"**

Naruto's last thought was for Hanabi. He thought he saw her by the door with Jack. Rage blazed within him, even as he struck the bulkhead with enough force to bow his back like a board. And then, there was only pain a white-hot, searing agony pervading his every pore. He flopped onto his back, the motion sent a lance of agny through his spine. He thought he saw someone standing over him, his helmeted head scraping at concrete in pained defeat. He struggled to raise his gaze.

"Alma?"

"Nope." A bonechilling voice answered him, the words sending a renewed lance of agony stabbin through his stomach.

It was the pale-eyed woman from before-from his vision!-only now, she wore an insufferably bright yellow sundress, complete with an equally bright hat, meant to shade her face from the sun. She smiled at him a pale eyed smile, and waved daintily, uncaring for the scene of chaos and destruction surrounding them.

"Hello, darling." She chirruped happily. "You're looking well."

Naruto groaned.

"You...You're not really here, are you?"

Impossibly, her smile grew.

"Of course I'm here...

Naruto breathed a shattered sigh of relief.

_...in your mind."_

Just like that, his relief became agony. Who was this woman?! Why couldn't he remember her? And why was he seeing her, when she clearly wasn't-

"Father!" Alma's voice shattered the hallucination like so much glass. "Father, hang on! I-

And then there was only blackness.

**A/N: DUN-DUN-DUN! Big Sister is finally revealed in all her glory only for her and Jack to be consumed in a fiery explosion! Will they survive?! Have they been seperated?! We'll see, next time...in the Arcadia area! For those of you who'd already guessed her identity-lord knows I've laid plenty of hints-congratulations! A cookie for you! Naruto is slowly losing his mind to the ADAM within his body, seeing images of a woman who is (supposedly) dead. Now, and alas, with that, I have to leave for the day. Sorry if its so short! I am off to work now. I look forward to reading your thoughts and opinions in the reviews dear reader so, in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...would you kindly revew?**

**Also, would you lads and lassies kindly review my latest fic, Saiyan for a Year? Granted, it has nothing to do with Bioshock, and its a pure DBZ work but I worked really hard on it and I would truly appreciate the reviews. Pretty please?**

**R&R!=D**


	11. Don't Mess With Daddy

**A/N: I. RETURN! Been awhile, hasn't it? We've had hurricance Sandy sweep through the area, and even an election. Apparently we're struck with Obama for another four years. Meh, not my problem, I didn't vote, anyway. This chapter has bee a long time coming, put off by the fact that Bioshock Infinite was delayed all. the. way. to. February! Grrr! And with that, I proudly present you...**

**...the next chapter of Daddy Won't You Please Come Home! Sorr if its short! Warning! Extreme violence in this chapter!**

_"Bad man is bad!"_

_~Alessa._

**Don't Mess With Daddy**

Pain. So much pain. She couldn't be dead. Anyone who was dead wouldn't feel all this, surely. She couldn't decide which was worse: the splitting, throbbing headache or the appalling pain in the front of her shoulder. And that was just the start. Her whole body was shrieking for her attention. Her stomach was telling her to throw up. The agony in her shoulder radiated into her neck with every step. Or maybe the stabbing jabs into her neck were something separate?

Steps.

Not steps. Someone was carrying her, but for a moment she couldn't think of who it might be or even what had happened. She wanted to open her eyes, but couldn't seem to part the eyelids. Pain was blocking out coherent thought. _Think Hanabi, think._ _What happened?_

Sliver by sliver she began to collect her last memories. She'd been hit by shrapnel from the blast. The explosion. Right. There had been an sub had exploded. She'd been standing so very close when that happened Too close. A thick sheet of metal had sliced into her arm. Another shard had slashed her across the neck with the serrated edge. Ah, that explained the neck. She'd fallen. And that explained the pain just about everywhere else. She'd be one big bruise, after a tumble like that. The shoulder: she couldn't move her arm without terrible pain. She hazarded a guess: a broken clavicle. Anything else?

And then it all came rushing back. _Daddy. Alma. Alessa Oh, poor little Alessa. _Her eyes flew open. Someone was carrying her, but it was _not_ Daddy; not the protector she loved more than anyone else int he world. Both her ears rang, and it was that she realized they, whomever they were, had removed her helmet. It was still dark and she was looking up at the under side of his chin. A wave of awful dizziness drowned her. She moved her head slightly and vomitted.

"Welcome back," they said. The voice struck a cord in her ear. "Or I guess I should say, welcome to Arcadia."

_Jack?_

And then he was ducking his head,hunching his shoulders to enter a doorway and lay her down on the central carpet. Hanabi squirmed, a silent sob of agony wracking her body from the motion._ It hurt. _It hurt so much! Not just her wounds, but the abscence, the void left in her heart at the sudden _lack_ of prescence. Papa wasn't here. She wanted daddy back! She wanted him back; because when she was with him she didn't feel any of this pain, this terrible, all encompassing agony shredding her every cell, threatening to tear her body limb from limb-

"Just stay there." She detected the succinct sound of a shotgun being cocked amidst the words, amidst her agony. "I'm going to make sure its all clear." He turned, to take his leave of her. Paused. Risked a glance back at her. "Atlas said the others didn't make it." He said, as if to reaffirm her worst fears. "Its just you and me now." Hanabi froze, not hearing anything else, refusing to so much as bat an eyelash until the man left. When she was certain he was about to leave, then, and only then did she stiffen.

_No. No no no no nooooo..._

She looked around, ignoring the agony every move caused her. The hovel was lit with the oil lamp and the first thing she didn't saw were the bodies. Corpses, splashing the floor with crimson, their bodies riddled with a dozen or so holes, courtesy of the shotgun clenched white-knuckled in the man's grip. _Oh dear lord. _They were in Arcadia. She had no idea where that even was. Where they were. She was with Jack true, but she might as well've been alone for all _that_ mattered.

_Daddy, you...you wouldn't..._

He couldn't be dead. No! He couldn't. Daddy was strong. He was invincible!

The moment Jack was gone, Hanabi tried to stand. It was a mistake. A wave of dizziness assaulted the Big Sister; the room swaying beneath her like the ocean tides. She crashed to the floor in a heap, whimpering soft and quiet, lest she be heard. Weak. She was so very weak, yet this fear, this anxiety, the insatiable desire to see Daddy would not let her sit still. Stubborness prevailing once more, she steeled herself against the pains and needles in her collarbone and pushed off against the floor with her good arm.

_Slowly,_ she told herself, wincing whenever she moved too swiftly. _Slowly..._

Her panic was total, yet every movement she made was deliberate, considered. She couldn't afford to feel dizzy again. She needed to think. She turned her head the other way and beheld the face of her rescuer for the very first time. Her heart nearly leapt from her chest. Jack was covered in blood; his left eye swollen and blackened, his tan sweater streaked and blotted with stains courtesy of Rapture's darker denizens. Her thoughts were not with him, however. They fled for the three figures that were not here with her.

Ignoring Jack's gentle edict, she forced herself to her feet. She stood woodenly not taking enough care, uncaring for the agony in her shoulder. She had to find him. Had to find Daddy. She pushed past the flap covering the hovel and warily ventured out into the abandoned streets of Arcadia. She would find him. She had to. She must. There could be no other option.

_Daddy...where are you?_

* * *

_(Meanwhile)_

Naruto's world swam in black and white spots, leaving the blonde awash in a sea of agony. Visions of his lives, the past and the present, hurtled past him: voices shouting and prying at him, each vying for the rapturian golem's attention. Was he dead? Was this the afterfie? Colliding and shattering, snatches of memory and conversation deafened him, amongst which he deciphered:

_This is wrong._

_She'll never know._

_Don't you love me?_

_How could you do this to us?_

Buffeted by screams and shouts not his own, helpless to do anything but endure, Rapture's most unlikely son found himself trapped between life and death.

But not for very long...

* * *

Blue eyes drifted open, wincing as shards of sunlight stabbed into his retina. Wait a second. _Sunlight?_ The sun did not shine in Rapture.

He was standing in a sun-soaked kitchen. Gone was his suit, the nigh impregnable suit of armour that had been his home for the last decade was nowhere to be seen amidst this strange scene. He was clothed in simple clothe: black baggy slacks and a simple white tee, the state of which suggested he'd only just risen from bed. He certainly felt like it.

A woman sat across from him, hunched over the kitchen table, violet hair splayed haphazardly across her back. _Anko? _A sea of old cards were clutched white-knuckled in her hands. No, wait. Those, weren't cards. They were photographs. A snake of dread coiled n his stomach. A snake of dread, coiling about his thoat, he stepped forward. The look she gave him was one of raw emotion; the sheer travesty behind those hazel eyes were like daggers in his heart. He felt he should know the scene playing out before him, yet all he could conjure was a nameless sense of heartbroken nostalgia.

She smiled then, and he felt his heart break a thousand times over. He felt as though he should apologize. Should say something. Anything. Even if he couldn't remember.

"Anko, I-

"Liar." She hissed, her words shattering whatever he'd been about to say. "I trusted you. I believed you."

_"How could you?"_ She despaired at him, flinging the photographs at his feet. "How could you do this to _me?"_ He hazarded a glance down at the photos; _they were blank._ Confused, he raised his gaze, seeking hers. Only to find everythign changed. The sunlight was gone. Clean countertops were coated with grime, and soot, the island in the center of the room broken and dilipidated. Dust and cobwebs covered everything. The stench of smoke filled his nose, welled up in his lungs, choking him. He called out for her, shouted at her, wanting her to make him remember.

But Anko was nowhere to be found.

In her place sat the mysterious woman from before, wearing that insufferable yellow sundress, her face veiled by the ridiculously large sunhat. Her eyes gleamed at him from beneath it, starry-eyed and mournful as the flames consumed the kitchen, licking up their legs. Naruto struggled to try and free his limbs, but found himself rooted in place. Rooted, as she smiled at him.

_I never meant to come between the two of you, darling._ A breathless sob tore its way out of her throat, her lips quivering tremulously. _I never...I never wanted to hurt anyone..._

Naruto wanted to scream at her, wanted to demand answers, something, anything, but all that left his mouth was wordless gibberish. _What?!_ Why couldn't he speak?! Despairing, he risked a glance down at himself: he was Subject Omega once more, the towering titan of Rapture. He was as they'd meant to make him; a monstrous amalgamation of flesh and metal. Only this time, they'd taken his voice ,and he knew in his heart there would be no miraculous miracle, no inner demon to restore his words. He stretched a gloved hand toward her, stretching, imploring.

She smiled at him, _smiled ever so sadly_ as her flesh began to boil and peel.

_"I'm so sorry, darling..."_

* * *

-ther!"

Hands. Jostling him. Voices. Begging. Pleading for him to rise. Why was that? It would be so much easier to drop off the face of the earth, never to awaken again. Gunshots. Screams.

"Father!"

Alma? Noisy. She was so damn noisy. Couldn't she tell he was sleeping?

**"Kit, I swear if you don't get your ass up _right now_ I'll take over and slaughter everyone!"**

That did it.

Naruto jolted straight. Pain came rushing back into his flesh, and he embraced it. He sneered, smacked his lips, as if clearing a bad taste. Around him, the vapours of his dream vanished, trailing off like the smoke from the burning submarine. _Burning._ Oh bloody hell!

Blue eyes burst open, darting wildly through the porthole. _Just a dream,_ the Big Daddy reminded himself, quelling his terror as he struggled to rise._ It was only a dream._ He propped himself up on his elbows, blearily peering through the porthole of his helmet. Atlas's sub was indeed burning, and the man's body was nowhere to be found. Perhaps it had fallen into the water during the explosion? Unlikely. Blast it, he couldn't see a damnable thing with this helmet on! Something was standing over him. Something...large. Gradually he became aware of the pain in his chest; heavy blows rang against it, jarring him back to the present. Something was holding him down, trying to force him to the floor even as he struggled to rise. Pinning him. Beating him.

"Father!" Alma's voice rang in his ears anew, deafened by another spurt of gunfire. Her words were like lava in his veins. Blue eyes snapped slitted; sapphire gleamed into scarlet.

"Get...the...fuck..._**OFF!"**_

Omega's fist crackled with lightning, thick fat sparks splaying across his fingertips. Blindly, he struck, lashing out at the one delivering the beating. He was rewarded with the distinctive _squuuiiish_ of metal meeting flesh, then whatever it was that held him abruptly fell away. He struck again, his fingers closing around a thick, meaty arm, the incinerate plasmid evoking a brutish scream from its victim. Omega hadn't the chance to savour his small victory however; another blow sent him reeling, staggering backwards as he responded in kind. Finally freed from it, separated from his unseen attackers, he wiped the gore and grime from his porthole, a low, frustrated growl building in the back of his throat.

Something answered him.

The Big Daddy whirled around to see the gorilla like form of a Brute Splicer standing before the wreckage of the burning sub, its massive bulk a dark shadow against the flame, bits of tile and concrete strewn about. The ape like monster gave a roar as he stared at the suited man with beady eyes, a battered bowler hat, dwarfed in comparison to its wearer, tilted atop its ugly head. Its thick, barrel chest, heaved up and down, struggling for breath. Omega soon saw why.

Someone had given the Brute the beating of a lifetime. The hulkish splicer was battered and bloodied; lacerations lined the length of its apeish arms deep gouges carved into its flesh. But the brute was far from finished as Circling each other, with his back now the spreading conflagration, the Big Daddy brought out his drill, revving the bloody tool. His gaze slid across the porthole as they squared off, seeking his daughters.

Alessa lay crouched in a nearby corner a yard or so from his current position, head tucked between her knobby knees. He couldn't see Alma, but the occsional spurts of gunfire_-not to mention the bloodcurdling screams of the occasional splicer-_suggested his eldest daughter was still very much alive. Hanabi_...where was Hanabi?_ His gaze swept the floor of Neptune's Bounty; she was nowhere to be seen amongst the bodies. Terror kept at him, forcing the Big to turn from his opponent and scour the floor with his gaze. It was a mistake.

The Brute's scream of rage brought him hurtling back to the present. The enemy would die first. _Then_ he would find Hanabi.

With defiant roars, the two behemoths of Rapture charged each other, the ground quaking beneath their boots, meeting midway. Metal met flesh, and both were knocked back, sent sprawling. Omega rose shakily to his feet, only to see the Brute grabbing hold of a nearby large chunk of debris and whipping it towards him. Instinctively, the Big Daddy wanted to hop away from the manmade missile. But, with Alessa so close, he refused to bude. Snarling his fury, he raised a hand, fingers flicking with invsible eddies and swirls of telikinesis. His demon frowned, taken aback by what his host planned.

**"What're you-**

The boulder came to an abrupt halt, hovering before his outstretched hand like an errant babble. Unbidden, an old memory came back to him; playing baseball in the park when he was twelve. An idea began to form, in the depths of his mind. Instead of discarding the massive chunk as he was wont to, Omega brought his hand up and back and the chunk of debris followed suit as he raised a booted foot; a pitcher, prepared to throw a fast ball. He'd find himself incessantly taunted for the idea later, but for now, he saw it as a sweet revenge. Sweat beaded upon his brow as he struggled to maintain his tenuous grip on the piece of debris, muscles aching as they tore and healed in the same, simultaneous instant.

"Uh oh," was all the Brute had time to say in its deep voice before the Big Daddy flung the debris back in its face. _Hard._

With a bloodcurdling howl he tore himself back from the brink and sent the boulder cartwheeling past him to strike the charging splicer head on. There was a massive crack as it struck, and the Brute was sent sprawling from its place on the blood-soaked docks and knocked into the bay where the sub still bobbed. Naruto stalked forward after it, sparks spitting from his right hand; and the splicer realized with mounting horror what this meant. It struggled to haul itself out of the water and back onto the dock, and almost succeded, its thick fingers wrapping around a nearby guardrail-

Naruto's boot came down. _Harder._ There was an earsplitting _cruuuunch_ as the bone in the brute's hand broke, leaving it to flop back into the water and flounder helplessly, screaming. Begging and blubbering for mercy it struggled to stay afloat despite the loss of its hand. Its pleas fell upon deaf ears. With a flick of the wrist an arc of blue tinged volts shot from Omega's hand, striking the water. Instantly, they shot through the waters of the bay, crackling and hissing, sending the unfortunate brute shrilling in agony as the electricity coursed through him.

Omega peered down at him apathetically. It had attacked them, and was therefore an obstacle. He felt no remorse, not at all as he raised the brute splicer from the waters. It would've been so easy to end its life with a bullet, just then. Merciful, even. But Omega wasn't feeling very merciful at the moment. He held the brute aloft with the twin powers of telekinesis, watching as the water dripped from its grotesque frame. He gawped a moment longer in utter agony, eyes bulging so large he was certain they'd fall out of its head.

"P-Please," It begged, "No more...

Omega wasn' listening.

When he was certain the Brute had been dried as best he could, Naruto unceremoniously dragged the fingers of his right hand across one another in agonizing slowness, producing a spark, an ember of flame. Before his poor victim could realize what was about to happen, he was burning. Flames licked across his flesh, scalding him, immolating him in a cone of fire. His screams became strangled then died, trailing off to dry rasps as his vocal cords burned up beneath the inferno. But he did not die. Not yet.

Naruto abruptly _dunked_ him in the water, dousing the flames. Sparing his life. The brute gasped out a short, relieved breath and then he was driven under, his head forced beneath the deep waters of the bay by the Big Daddy's gloves, grinding into its bald head. It was held there, the beefy Splicer twisting and squirming as it struggled for breath but finding no life giving air. Arms thrashed, and flailed uselessly,thick fingers slicking offf the Lancer's sleek helmet, its muscles weakened by lack of oxygen.

**"Yes!"** Kurama cackled! **"That's what I like to see! Make him pay! Make him suffer! Let me rip into him!"**

Naruto said nothing; because their was only rage in his heart. Deep, all encompassing, rage.

And then, then, just when the Brute it would not live to see another day, the Big Daddy yanked it out of the water. Choking and gasping, sputterin and spitting, it greedily gulped down life-giving air. But not for long. A vice locked around its windpipe, gloved fingers wrapping themselves around its equally thick throat, cutting short the splicer's supply of oxygen once more. Omega rumbed blackly, uncaring as the man's stump little leg kicked at his chest; he simply shot another bolt of electricity into the splicers; silently savoring his enemy's wordless screams. The splicer had dared to harm _his_ girls. It would pay. It would not be allowed to die until he deemed it so!

He kept squeezing, silent and uncaring as the splicer's face began to purple, as globules of swollen, scalded flesh, dripped from the brute's scorched neck. _Incinerating_ the man wasn't good enough, not aymore. He'd would be made to suffer. _Suffer,_ as red light wormed its way through his gloved fingers and crafted itself into claws, latching onto the brute's skin. An errant thought sent them into overdrive, stripping the very flesh from his bones, piece by bitter, maddened piece. When he was finished, all that remained was a pool of blood and broken bone, devoured, by the energies boiling beneath the suit. He banished them with an effort, a fierce, unholy satisfaction emanating from his every pore. The deed was done.

Omega gave a satisfied grunt, and began to reach for the clasps of his bloodsoaked helm, his opponent dispatched. He had to get this thing off! Now! It reeked!

Fumbling at the clasp with numbed fingers,he somehow managed to find the release. Frowning, he tore it off an aside, nodding his aquiescment when a pair of slim arms reached down to assist. Fresh air rushed into his lungs, depleted by the dank atmosphere within the metal carapace. That was another mistake. He coughed and gagged, choking as the lingering fumes of smoke and gasoline rushed into his lungs.

"Father?"

It was like flicking a switch. All the anger drained away from him, leaving him weak and exhausted. He turned, regarding the speaker with a weary gaze.

Alma was suddenly there at his elbow, crimson eyes fraught with worry. Naruto nearly guffawed at what he saw in her hands. She clutched his machine gun in one hand, brandishing the massive metal gun, slung over her shoulder with ease. Both her arms were slicked with blood, yet miracuously she stood unharmed. Probably because of the machine gun. How the hell could she carry that massive thing, anyway? Oh, right, strength from the fox and whatnot. He felt he faintest trace of what might've been satisfaction as she stood before him; calm and unperturbed, soaked in the blood of their enemies, her vengeance wrought

When she saw his face, however, something seemed to snap inside the young woman. All trace of composure left her, clattering to the floor alongside the heavy automatic weapon. Her lower lip quivered tremuously as he looked on, and he was suddenly reminded of the outright terror he'd heard in her words only moments before. She'd sounded so afraid so...so angry. Now the anger was gone, the terror had dissipated; leaving well, a distraught young woman utterly relieved to see the one she cared for safe, and unharmed.

Alma all but _flung_ herself at Omega, throwing both arms around his neck before he could think to protest, sobbing softly into his shoulder seconds later.

"F-Father," She whimpered tremulously. "I...I was so worried. I thought you...you...

"It's alright." Omega found his voice at last, the words thick and raspy; he had the succint feeling it wasn't just the stinging smoke that brought tears to his eyes. Gore-covered arms closed firmly-but not to firmly mind the armour-around her back, unintentionally staining the raven tresses crimson. She was alright. That was all mattered. They were all alright.

"Daddy!" The moment he released Alma, little Alessa rushed forward to greet and glom him; happy to see her precious protector would live to fight another day. Naruto bit back a groan, but returned the embrace none the less. _Ouch!_ He was still sore! Every fiber of his being roared in protest alongside that of his demon, but he carefully ignored them, choosing instead to focus upon the child in his arms. And had she gotten taller?

Sure enough even as he hauled himself to his feet, he realized it; whereas once she'd barely reached his knee, the top of her pretty little head came to rest just above his stomach. She was older, he realized, the traces of baby fat having all but thinned from her face. If he had to guess, she was proably twelve or thirteen years old now.

**"How is she growing so fast?"**

_'Fuck you that's how!'_ Naruto snapped back. He didn't want to think about it. She wasn't growing at the same rate as Alma but she _was_ still growing and quite frankly, he didn't want to think about it. Instead, he winced as another wave of agony crashed down upon his skull, smothering him. Great. He probably had a concussion. As if he hadn't enough to fear.

Speaking of fear...

"Where's Hanabi?" He found himself asking, silently dreading the answer. Jack could go to hell for all he cared! He wanted to know where she was! He clomped forward, looting the bodies for what ammo and supplies; a medkit and a pack of cigars was all he found. He hoped they couldn't see the tension in his shoulders; the stiffness of his gait, the dead look in his eye as he struggled to maintain his smile. He couldn't have lost her. No not like this. Not after he he'd finally found out who she was.

Their answer shattered his forced calm like so much glass.

"Jack took her." Alma said simply, pointing toward the door through which Atlas had first entered; it was now conspicuously open.

There was a silence. Then:

_"What?"_

"Uncle Jack took Big Sister away." Alessa reaffirmed, blinking as Naruto ripped his helmet off the floor and slammed it over his head. The porthole pulsating an eerie red. He snatched up the machine gun from the floor, and loaded a fresh clip into it. Omega stomped back towards Alma and Alessa, balling his hands into fists, gnashing his hidden teeth, and veritably shaking in rage. Jack! The man thought he could steal Hanabi out from under his nose again, did he?! Well, they'd just see about that! A furious roar bellowed down the halls ahead of him.

_**"JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!"**_

* * *

_(Meanwhile)_

"Mommy, did you hear something?"

Mitarashi Anko nearly jumped out of her ever-loving skin when she felt a tug upon her elbow. Valentine, Masha and Evelyn were each looking at her, the latter having taken her sleeve in hand. It had been several hours since Naruto first departed with Jack, and her girls were growing restless. Her girls. She'd gotten so damned _used_ to calling them that. Scarcely a day had passed since her unofficial induction to Naruto's 'family' and yet already she found herself calling them her own. Tenenbaum, or the doc' as she'd come to call the foreign woman, decared it a miracle. The Little Sisters were meant to _abhor_ the idea of having a mother. Such had been their conditioning. Naruto's girls had warmed to her after the first hour.

"No," she shook her head, "I didn't hear anything."

"We thought we heard Daddy." Evelyn said, her freckled face dimpling as she smiled hopefully. Anko sighed. She...really, really wasn't that good with kids. Her own childhood had been hell after what Orochimaru'd had done to her. She'd always had her guard up, always hid it behind crude jokes and cruel behaviour. Never had she let her walls down, not for anyone. Not since that little blond gaki first wormed his way into her heart all those years ago. And yet these little girls..._damn but they plucked at her heartstrings!_

"Oi, gaki." She grumbled, beckoning for Masha. "Want meto comb your hair ." Girls liked that sort of thing, right? Anko had always been a bit of a tomboy, so she'd never really bothered to do anything but put it up in a ponytail. Masha's delighted giggle convinced her otherwise.

Anko bid Masha sit on her leg, unable to constrain a small smile as the golden-eyed girl all but leapt into her lap. Here she was, miles beneath the sea, combing their hair. The irony was not lost on her. Never a once did she think she'd be a mother; certainly not under such circumstances. Chortling to herself, the former kunoichi pulled Masha and Valentine into her arms, gathering them onto the bed beside her, taking turns. They were content with that for awhile, the girls were. But as with all little girls, they did not stay silent for long.

"Mommy?" Valentine ventured suddenly, her golen eyes staring straight ahead as the violet-haired woman pulled the comb through her auburn locks, "I have a question."

"Hmm?" Anko murmurred.

"Do you love daddy?"

"O-Of course I do!" Anko sputtered, cheeks burnished with a rosy pink flush. Clever little kid! "Why wouldn't I?!"

Valentine tentatively pushed two fingers together; the gesture reminded Anko something an old student of hers once did.

"Because Daddy always seems so sad when he's with you...

_'Kid...you'd better get your ass back here soon..._

"How did you meet daddy?" This question came from Evelyn. Anko nearly fell over.

"Eh?!"

For the life of kami she never thought she'd be regaling children with such girly things! Eye twitching, she tried to brush it off, but the girls refused to let it lie and she found herself wishing for Naruto's return as well. In a matter of minutes, she had the girls gathered around her once more, bright-eyed and bushy tailed.

"Well, it all started during the chunin exams...

**A/N: Yeah, this chapter was a bit angsty. Omega's slowly losing his mind to the ADAM within him; the only thing keeping him sane, ironically is the fox. Without him, well, he'd go batshit crazy in little to no time flat. And you don't mess with his girls. You. Do. Not. Else you'll die a very slow and very painful death. Anko is bonding with the girls! DAAAAAAAAAAW! Naruto's off to Arcadia, by now you know we're almost halfway through the original Bioshock. ****Things are coming to a head! But by no means is this story finished! There's still so much more to go! **

**Alas now, I am off to work once more. I'd wanted to post this chapter just to get it out there, but after some thought I decided to wait until I had more detail. Now I'm glad I waited. Hope you enjoyed it!**

**And so, in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...REVIEW, WOULD YOU KINDLY?**

**R&R! =D**


	12. Interlude of a Sister

**A/N: I'm back again! I've been on an updating spree as of late, and finally had the time to return to my Bioshock works! For any that are interested, this fic MAY cross with one of my most recent Bioshock Infinite works, "A Sage in the Clouds" but I'll leave that entirely up to you, dear readers. I sincerely apologize if this chapter's so much shorter than the other, but I've been working my poor muse half to death with all these One Piece updates as of late and as such, I at least felt obligated to update something in a different category.**

**And with that...**

**...AWAY WE GO!**

_"All debts **will** be paid._

_~Atlas._

**Interlude of a Sister**

The hulking form of Subject Omega thundered forward as the door to Arcadia burst open, nearly wrenching the steel frame from its hinges in his haste. His entire vision was wreathed in red, bent upon a single, solitary desire to to find and _end _the man responsible for abducting one of his children."

**"JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!" **His cries were deafening and frightening; a man on a mission, a hunter intent on its prey. **"I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!"**

They shook the floors and rattled the walls, sending splicers scurrying for fear of his wrath. Those who did not make way with haste found themselves impaled upon the frozen edge of the lancer's drill, their blood added to the myriad of stains that marred his suit. And those were the lucky ones. The few imbeciles who actually dared _stand their ground _swiftly found themselves set aflame by the merciless beam of the ion laser, imolated within tongues fo fire and flame

Naruto couldn't care less; even as the metal dock receded beneath his feet and gave way to something else altogether.

_Grass._

He stepped into a world unknown. Grass sprouted beneath his feet, a veritable see of life stretching before his vision as far as they eye could see leading towards a door at the far end of the complex, wreathed by a trio of towering trees stretching before his vision. Its beauty was lost on the former rapturian however; he had eyes only for one man and that man was _not_ here. With a long suffering sigh, he made for the door, ruthlessly ignoring everything else. He was only dimly aware of Alma following him, trailing several paces behind his rampage.

"Daddy's angry, isn't he?" Alessa whispered a question from her comfortable spot in Alma's arms. Her voice was low, little more than a staccato whisper in the gloom but the young woman heard it clear as any day. She wasn't frightened; far from it, she was just making an idle observation.

"Just a little," she cooed softly. "He'll be all better soon."

"He's not mad at us is he?"

Alma managed a slow shake and stroked the little sister's head, careful as always to stay several paces _behind _their Big Daddy. She knew Naruto would never hurt her, nor the Little Sisters, but, she didn't want to take any chances now, what with his anger bordering on the psychotic. Oh yes, she was all too aware of his emotions; because she could feel them. She didn't know _how,_ only that she did. Perhaps this had something to do with that strange red energy he'd forced into her body after her "death" at the hands of Jack.

Whatever it was, this strange bond between them left her painfully aware of the inner turmoil raging behind that helmt.

Alma could _feel_ her father's rage, radiating off him in palpable waves of anger and distress, his boots clomping heavily against the metal floor. She too was distraught at the disappearance of her Hanabi_-being her foster sister and all-_but she simply wasn't able ignore the natural beauty surrounding her. Trees. There were trees here. She'd only ever heard of them, seen them in storybooks, but never this close. Idly, she dared to trace a hand against the bark of a nearby oak as they passed by, marvelling at its majesty, at the roughness beneath his fingers.

The grass was cool under her bare feet, tickling her bloodied toes and if they weren't in such a hurry, the young woman would've very much liked to simply lay amongst the blades of grass and take in this strange, alien word, rife with its natural beauty. But Naruto's pace was a relentless one; he stormed through the door, up the stairs and around the corner eventually leading them into what appeared-for all intensive purposes-to be a small workshop. Even as she took it in, her father was already marching toward the next door.

Alma risked one last look over her shoulder, admiring the deep, verdant green of the grass, the many leaves of the trees, the great sliding doors-

"Die, ya big lug!"

Alma's head snapped up as the rear-most door slid open, revealing the husband from hell: his tuxedo twisted and torn, revealing gross postules and growths beneath, his greasy hair slicked back behind his mask, eyes wide with madness. She half-expected Daddy to bull rush the splicer. Instead, he surprised her.

Omega laughed; it was a deep, throaty sound.

"Why do I always get the crazies?" Naruto asked rhetorically to no one in particular. "It's either libertarian lunacy or collectivist claptrap." he growled, his low rumbling voice making that growl impressive indeed. "Here's a newsflash for ya, bucko. You have three seconds to move before I pulp your face."

"Ha!" The splicer tittered madly. "Couldn' do that if ya tried!"

_"One."_

The madman concintued to shriek at him, its words dissolving into an endless, animal bleat.

_"Two."_

Alma couldn't see the splicer's face behind the mask, but she had the succinct impression he was smiling.

"Catch me if you can!"

A faint sucking sound was their only warning and then the splicer was simply...gone.

_Houdini!_

"Father!" Alma cried out!

Omega lurched to the right, a fireball whipping past the place he'd just vacated. Growling, he swiveled his head just in time for another ball of fire to carrom harmlessly of the side of his hand. The offending splicer gave a gurgle of surprise, a split second before the invisible ripples of telikenisis appeared upon the Big Daddy's hand. Alma recognized his intents a second before the Big Daddy raised a palm and beckoned; fingers crooking into a fearsome claw.

_"Three."_ he snarled.

The poor splicer barely had time to scream before Omega _yanked _it forward; flesh flying from its feet and into the air to greet the unyielding edge of his drill. There was a sick squlching sound as the frozen bit impacted its stomach and bored through, emerging out the back with a fearsome spatter of blood and gore. Alma was no stranger to violence, but even she cringed when the poor fellow began to thrash about in a feeble attempt to extricate himself from his frozen demise.

Naruto revved the engine once and the man's screams fell eerily silent.

"Let's go-hmm?"

His porthole flashed from wrathful crimson to a mellow yellow as something caught his eye. An audio diary?

Frowning, Naruto picked up the audio recording and pressed play. There was a soft click as the reel began to turn; his impromptu family crowded around him to listen as the playback started.

_"Today,_ A woman's voice began, "_Arcadia was closed off to all but paying customers. The man hires me to build a forest at the bottom of the ocean and then turns a walk in the woods into a luxury! Ryan asked: 'Should a farmer not be able to sell his food? Is a potter not entittled to a profit from his pots?"_ She sighed in exasperation, _"I started to argue with the man and then I remembered who signed my checks. The only thing worse than a hypocrite is an unemployed one..._

The message trailed off, leaving Naruto and his girls to wonder.

_Just whose voice was that?_

**A/N: Sorry if its short, but I really wanted to get this out for you guys and galls. Naruto's on the war path, all because of a small misunderstanding betwee him and Jack. This can't end well...Oh , and That voice you heard on the recording, I'm sure you all know it. Well, she's about to play a pivotal role in the chapp to come, moreso than you think! Sorry, but I won't spoil anymore. I'm off to work now!**

**So...in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review, would ya kindly? And here's an amusing little excerpt I found from an audio diary:**

_I got in a fight with a dog eater today. His name is Amir and he was picking on a smaller boy...we called a truce when his nose went red. But Mum says I'm becoming a barbarian. So I said "Eleanor eat dog now too...Barbarian happy! And Mum said," she continued in a snooty voice, obviously mocking her mother, "they only think they're happy, because they're selfish and ignorant!" Abruptly, her jovial tone returned. "Hmmph! Eleanor think ignorant sound like fun!"_

**And of course, enjoy this preview!**

_"Papa!"_

_Naruto grunted as something latched onto him from behind, nearly bowling him over._

_"I was so scared!" Hanabi wailed, thick, heaving sobs wracking her body, tremelous tears leaking from her lids._

**R&R! =D**


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